


Mirror mirror on the....water?

by 8fred9



Series: Potion verse [2]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Asgard, Dark Bruce, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, I am not tagging everything just watch every RDJR you can find and you'll get the reference, M/M, Mention relationship Jack/Barbossa, Pirate comes with Jack Sparrow, Visiting the parents, Weird friendship like very close to love between Tony and Bruce, pirate king Stark, seriously there is nothing sweet about my Bruce
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-27
Updated: 2013-10-31
Packaged: 2017-12-21 13:46:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 52,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/900992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/8fred9/pseuds/8fred9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wanting his mate to be immortal Loki brings Tony to Asgard hoping to find the solution to his mortality problem, but he wasn't counting on old grudges.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First travel as a trio

**Author's Note:**

> Working on it again, at the same time as other project...like a teen wolf bingo and my SGA serie when I need a break. But working on or again....so many things to come an I'll never stop with the Doctor Who reference!

It took a full week of preparation for Loki to even start thinking that his trip to Asgard with a mortal and a rage being was still a good idea. Anthony was finally allowed out of bed, after a full day of experimentation by Banner, just to be sure that every single thing in the smaller scientist’s system was working in perfect order. Thor had been sent ahead by Loki to the All Father twice, to make sure their arrival would not surprise his adoptive father making sure that nothing would happen to his mate and friend when they arrived. But the fact that both men were mortal (well in Tony’s case mostly) had been omitted, since the law of Asgard was that no mortal was to touch the ground of the house of the gods, for fear that they would sully it with their mortality. Thor had of course breached that law by bringing Jane over there many times, the only reason the human had been allowed was that their mother had hidden her mortal smell from the other gods and that Thor’s father had been approving of their relationship. The trickster wasn't worried about Banner, because though he had the name of a mortal, the former human did not in fact smell or even felt like a mortal, probably due to his green counterpart. Anthony, on the other hand, would smell and feel human to every other god. So hours before their departure Loki called both men to his and Anthony’s room, having formed a plan to make sure of the safety for them both. Although he was mortal now, the God of Lies had every intention of leaving Asgard with an immortal man.

And so both small scientists were standing in front of him, Bruce in black pants and a yellow shirt that probably belonged to his better half, since the scientist rarely wore his own clothes. Anthony on the other hand was wearing loose grey sweatpants and a white wife beater showing off the glow of his arc reactor. Both men were barefoot, in his mate’s case it was a common sight, but on Banner it was a surprise and for a reason that he preferred not to know.

"In a few hours we will be in Asgard, a place where mortals affiliate to me would ideally be put to death on sight unless they have a right of passage, which we do not for the moment, due to the fear of the gods that the secret to their immortality would be stolen from them."

"...Soooo they’re afraid of something that is the actual reason why we’re going there?"

"Indeed."

"Sweet! What's your solution for us not being killed on sight?"

Without answering, but not wanting to startle his mate, the God of Lies placed his hand over the yellow wearing scientist and covered him in green smoke, reciting the spell he had been studying for the last three days. Once the smoke was cleared, Banner was fitted in classic Asgardian armor. He was wearing black leather pants, fitted with a pair of dark purple boots, the top was an intricate ensemble of black and dark purple leather covering his torso, arms and neck. His back was covered in a tight knitted silver chain mail attached to a chest piece protecting his heart and vital organs. The entire outfit was completed with a green belt, with the belt buckle representing a cluster of snakes going from green to silver, the mark of the God of Lies and placing him under his protection. Anthony let out a little whistle of appreciation as he walked around Banner inspecting the god’s work.

"Nice, very nice... damn, your ass looks amazing in those pants."

A soft smile graced the scientist at the praise and he turned around to face the mirror looking at his new looks with a small grin. He let out a small hum of approval when he turned around and said that he did in fact have quite a nice ass in those pants. Anthony was still examining the outfit, a look on his face that indicated to the God that his mate was either having a really good idea or a really evil plan. Finally making his decision, his mate disappeared in his closet, mumbling something about leather and the color purple. He came back minutes later brandishing a long leather bright purple coat, with a very pleased smile on his face. Before Banner could say anything he was being force, which meant he was obliging the smaller man, into the coat and a pair of purple sun glasses. The effect of the threatening outfit Loki had chosen and the bright purple coat made the doctor look less evil and more soft and approachable. Banner hummed again smiling at his mate and gave his nod of approval.

"There you go, that's more like it."

"I do have to ask darling, although I am fairly sure I will regret asking, why do you have a purple leather coat in your closet?"

"Oh I have a full purple leather suit, but I thought the coat was enough for this outfit... why? Do you think we should have more? I have purple gloves, socks and ties!"

"NO!"

Banner was slowly backing away both hands in front of him in mock fear, looking at the God for help.

"Darling, don't you wish to see your own outfit?"

"Bring it on baby!"

Chuckling softly the God stepped to his mate placing his hand over his head letting it slip to his neck to pull the smaller man to him. Their mouths met with a soft sigh escaping the scientist’s lips and the trickster slipped his tongue in the coffee-flavored mouth, ripping another soft puff of air. The God only leaned back, when the good doctor cleared his throat bringing them both back to reality. Loki pulled back, loving the sight of his mate with slightly flushed cheeks and a smug smile.

"I don't remember this part in Brucey’s extreme Asgardian make-over!"

Laughing softly the god simply placed his hand over his mate’s head, letting his magic envelop his better half, Loki gazed into scotch colored eyes until he stare trailed down to his wedding band until the green smoke blocked it from view. Loki reciting the same spell as Banner but with some personal modifications. When the smoke cleared both the God and the doctor mouth were hanging open at the sight of the smaller scientist in Asgardian armor. Anthony was wearing the same black leather pants as Banner but everything else was completely different and very... Anthony. Instead of leather boots, he was wearing his red and gold propulsor boots, his top was a black leather armor covering his torso, back and neck, his arms were covered in a bright red leather laced with golden metal representing snakes. He had a golden chest plate hiding vital organs, over the place where the arc reactor was, the same cluster of snakes as Banner’s belt buckle was carved into the metal. His right hand was cast into his Iron man armor glove, with the propulsor connected to his reactor by one of the golden snakes circling his arm.

"I am reconsidering my status as a straight man..."

Anthony turned on himself chuckling at Banner’s statement, Loki still admiring his work and the fantastic shape that the Asgardian armor gave to his mate. Deciding to give it one last touch, the God mumbled the rest of the enchantment since he had stopped at the godly sight of his mate, green smoke leaking from his fingers as it slipped from the floor to rest over his mate’s arms and back. Once it slipped away, Anthony was wearing a pirate style coat, made in a heavy coat of Asgardian making that was stronger than metal and would protect his mate against any blade. The good doctor let out a little whistle coming over to inspect the coat with curiosity. Once both men were done assessing their looks they both turned to the God, asking the same question at the same time.

"How are these outfits going to protect us from mortal genocide?"

Both men look at each other chuckling, before finding their seriousness back and turning questioning looks to the God.

"The armor will help you fit into Asgard as to not make you stand out and attract attention. But the real protection comes from the smells attached to the garments making you smell like a species with which the Asgardian are at peace with and look enough like human that no one should ask question about your smell and appearance."

"Oh!... Wait, what species looks like human?"

"The habitants of Gallifrey."

"... You’re joking right?"

"I do not understand."

"There's an actual planet call Gallifrey that has an alien race that looks like humans... and have two hearts?"

"How do you know that?"

Both Anthony and Banner were gaping at him, their eyes looking like they were trying to get out of their heads and both scientists were hitting each other on the arms.

"Ok let’s agree right now that when we get back from Asgard our second stop is gonna be Gallifrey, where Bruce and I will go wearing costumes that will make no sense to you and we will be walking around looking for a man called the Doctor."

"Whatever makes you happy darling. I feel like this is one of those moments, where I am to agree with whatever you say just to please you and not ask questions."

"You really are perfect!"

Throwing himself into the God's arms, Anthony crashed his mouth over his, swallowing the small pleased sound that escaped the trickster’s mouth. Banner left the room, mumbling something about collecting his equipment for their travel and something sounding close to ‘horny scientist’. Not wanting to remove the armor from his mate, Loki contended himself with devouring the smaller man’s mouth. When they both leaned back for air, Anthony resting his forehead on Loki's, their breath mingling together between them, a soft shy smile appeared on the genius face.

"So babe, does your father know you got married?"

"That part could not be avoided, as my... as Odin wished for me to marry into royalty of his choosing to assure my loyalty to him and his realm. If I hadn't revealed my status as a bonded male, he would have forced me into bonding with a mate of his choice."

"You know, you’re not helping me make a better opinion of the All Father."

"Why would I try to make you see Odin in a favorable light?"

"Just so I would maybe have a good reason to be polite to the man?"

"Since you smell and look like a man from Gallifrey, if my father were to raise a hand against you, he would start a war with the entire galaxy."

"... You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"Of course."

"Is Bruce also from Gallifrey?"

"No, he is not dosed in any smell, his green counterpart changes his smell enough that he does not appear mortal, nor he is mortal and therefore... I pity any entity that would try anything against the doctor. I did however make sure that the good doctor would not have any wardrobes problem in Asgard."

"Which means?"

"His armor will follow the change in his body, whatever it may be."

"So there is a good chance that I'll see Hulk in full Asgardian armor?"

"I thought it would please you to see it and Banner to not be naked in front of the gods of Asgard."

"This is too good! I gotta tell Brucey."

Giving the God one last toe-curling kiss and ass grab, the scientist slipped out of the trickster’s arms, running through the corridor shouting the doctor’s name. Chuckling softly, the God followed his mate’s steps, he could not remember ever being this happy at the idea of visiting his own planet. This, he knew, would be a very interesting trip.

Thor had been back for all of two hours when all four of them made their way to the roof of Stark Tower finally ready to make their trip to Asgard. Loki looked around expecting the other Avengers to be there to bid them farewell, but he then remembered that they had been called in for a special mission hours ago. The Thunder God looked a little worried looking from his brother to the two small scientists, but every time Anthony looked at him the big goof broke into a giant smile. With a little sigh the trickster pulled his mate to him circling his arms around his waist and placed a finger under Anthony’s chin lifting his face so he would have all his attention.

"You are to hold-on to me no matter what Darling, do you understand?"

"Sure, but what happen if I slip or if you let me go?"

"First, I would never let you go and resent that the thought even crossing your mind. Second, you would be lost if not completely erased from existence and I would have to spend the rest of my life either trying to find you or trying to bring you back to life."

"So... try not to let go."

Loki gave his husband a little stern look but the smaller man only smiled, nuzzling his face against the God’s torso and clamped his arms more tightly around the trickster. Loki heard a mechanic sound behind him and looked with a raised eyebrow as his mate shook a little against him.

"Just an insurance policy, the glove will lock my arms around you until Jarvis releases them."

Before Loki could answer another pair of arms circled him from behind and looked over his shoulder to find Banner looking up at him, daring him the say anything. Clearly the good doctor had heard their conversation and was making sure of his own safety and Anthony’s. The trickster looked at the Thunder God, silently asking him why he wasn't taking care of the doctor, but the look Thor was giving him was too weird for the God to start analyzing and he simply nodded at him. Thor walked over to them and placing a hand on his brother’s shoulder, he lifted his hammer in the air and the sky opened over them with a ray of light that surrounded them lifting the four up and away.

++++++++++++

Tony felt like his skin was trying to run ahead of him and like his brain was trying to stay on earth... it was not a pleasant feeling by any stretch of the imagination. When finally he felt solid ground under his feet, he chanced a peek around and looked in wonder at the inside of a golden sphere. Jarvis unlocked his arms from around the trickster and he stool a peek at Bruce who was still clutching to Loki’s back, he had sweat on his brow and was green from sickness, probably. Bruce let go to lean against the wall as Thor walk out with a nod to someone behind the scientist and Loki was looking at him with worry-filled eyes, so Tony leaned up placing a little kiss on the God’s lips to reassure him. The trickster’s face softened at the little gesture of love and with a squeeze released Tony going to Banner placing a hand on the doctor’s shoulder to help steady him. Bruce gave him a thankful look and pushed him away asking for a little space so he could get his bearing back .Free to look around, Tony spun on his heels looking at everything and wanting to understand how everything worked, when his eyes fell on the giant gold-wearing black man in the center of the room, the man was studying him with a weirdly stony face. With a charming smile, Tony skipped to the giant startled at the golden eyes and hold out his hand to him.

"Tony Stark, please to meet ya!"

The giant seemed a little startled at his reaction and his hands tightened a little around the sword he was holding, before he finally leaned down a little and stretched his hand to meet Tony's.

"Heimdall Guardian of the Portal, I know who you are Anthony Stark."

"Tony please.... And why?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Why do you know who I am? I mean I know I'm awesome and my awesomeness should be known in all dimensions and..."

"I watch over Midgard during the time Thor spends on your planet and saw the fight against Loki."

".... Are you a God?"

Heimdall simply looked at him with furrow eyebrows and Tony realized everyone here was a God so the question would not make sense to the giant, then again Asgard must’ve been visited by none God so maybe the being was just confused by Tony in general. With a sigh the ex-playboy shook his head and turned on his most charming smile to the towering God.

"How does it work?"

"What?"

"Everything!"

+++++++++++++

Loki was busy making sure Banner wouldn't be sick or simply transform into his other self so for a moment Tony slipped from his view but not his mind as he tracked and kept part of his mind on Tony to make sure the genius didn’t get himself killed. Thor had come back with the horses they would need to go across the new rainbow bridge and as the trickster turned around he saw shock fighting laughter on the Thunder God’s face. Completely turning around keeping a steady hand on the doctor’s shoulder, Loki gazed inquisitively and found the cause of his brother’s expression. Heimdall had come down from his platform and was leaning down on a knee to speak face to face with Anthony. The small man was gesturing wildly, his arms going everywhere as he fired question after question, each one of them answered calmly by the guardian with patience. Bruce leaned a little against his side, his color coming back to his face and chuckled at the sight.

"Another victim of the Stark Charm. I don't understand why S.H.I.E.L.D. is trying so hard to find the best weapon they can when they could just place Tony in the middle of a terrorist group and let his charm do all the work."

Bruce, finally able to stand on his own, walked over to his best friend and the guardian with a fond smile. The trickster looked at the Thunder God with a raised eyebrow, but Thor only shrugged, in all their youth they had never seen Heimdall talk so much or even really move from his platform. Anthony was asking something about the rainbow bridge and made a weird face snickering in his hand as he turned to Banner with a cheeky smile. The doctor simply shook his head and lifted his hand to stop the scientist from speaking.

"If you make any gay rainbow-related jokes, I will have to slap you."

"No fun Brucey, no fun."

Getting back to Heimdall, the small man went back to pointing and asking random questions, the God just knew he was filling every little details away in his big brain for later. Noticing the trickster’s eyes on him Anthony gave him a little cheeky smile.

"Babe I might ask for divorce if all the God's on this planet are this good looking!"

"Are you trying to convince me to turn back into a mass murderer, Darling?"

Anthony gaped at him, taking a step back from the giant gold-wearing man and ran to the trickster throwing his arm around him with a giggle. Loki caught him easily and placed a soft kiss on his forehead, catching a little smile on the guardian’s face as he took his place back on the platform.

"Crazy man, you know you'll always be my favorite! Don't start saying weird things like that before you even introduce me to your Father, he's gonna think I made you even crazier!"

"He might not be wrong in this assumption."

"Hey!"

Letting the scientist slide out of his arms he took his hand in his and walked to Thor lifting his husband onto his horse and was about to do the same for Banner, but the doctor was already on the horse that had been assigned to him looking down at Loki with panic filled eyes. Anthony gave a little wave to Heimdall as Loki slipped behind him and they all started to ride to the golden building they could see through the clouds. Thor shared his horse with Banner and he pushed it to its limit as he passed thundering in front of them, with a terrified looking Banner in front of him. Loki chuckled at the idea of Banner turning into his greener self on the horse and by the smile on his husband face, Anthony had the same thought. His mate, completely trusting, was leaning back against Loki, letting his body follow the movement of the horse. Seeing his better half so comfortable on a horse made him think that this wasn`t a first for the genius.

"You have ridden before?"

"Yeah, when you’re the only Stark baby genius of the Stark Empire you are expected to know all the posh things posh kids excel at: riding a horse is number five on the list."

"Did you not enjoy ridding?"

"Never really liked it actually... but this I could get used to."

Anthony smiled up at him squeezing the arm Loki had placed around him.

"What are the other things on this posh list?"

"Let’s see... Chess, tennis, poetry, fencing...."

"Sword play?"

"Posh sword play babe."

"I did not know you knew how to use a sword. I would like to fence with you one day."

"I'm not really good babe, but I'm pretty sure I'd enjoyed it with you... Oh we could do some strip fencing."

Loki chuckled a little, nodding his agreement, he was pretty sure his mate could turn anything into a game of stripping, but couldn't really say he minded his better half’s dirty mind. As they approached their conversation grew silent as Anthony’s eyes studied and catalogued everything he saw. The trickster could feel the presence of the All Father surrounding him and took comfort in the small body plastered to him. He was here on a mission and would make sure everything would be fine, he would not leave until he was sure his mate would stay at his side forever.


	2. Choose your champion wisely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Worship my beta for how fast she works seriously she is a goddess worship her or you would not have this yet!!!!

As their horses stopped in front of the golden stairs, Loki jumped gracefully down from the horse reaching back to place his hands around Tony lifting him up and placing him on the ground, stealing a kiss on the way down. Tony peeked over his husband’s shoulder to see a very pissed looking Bruce who clearly hadn’t enjoyed his first horse riding experience, Thor was standing a little to the side with a giant grin on his face, not even trying very hard to hide his glee at having his brother back in Asgard. Loki presented his arm to him with a smug smile and the genius gave a little bow and placed his hand on the offered arm. They started to climb the stairs, Bruce to his left and Thor skipping ahead in the front. Every time the big goof wasn't smiling or thought the trio wasn't looking he had a weird look on his face that worried the ex-playboy.

"Something isn't right babe."

"I know darling, I've seen it. My brother couldn't hide a secret even if his life depended on it."

"Do you think we should be worried?" Tony asked as Bruce grunted behind him in agreement keeping an eye on the Thunder God and placed himself closer to the scientist.

"I don't know yet, I do not think the threat would come from him, but the All Father on the other hand..."

"Really not helping my opinion of your father, my love."

Loki only shrugged, a small mischievous smile playing on his face as he shared a look with Bruce over his head. Before he could ask anything about the look his husband and best friend had just shared, the golden doors were opened. If the outside of Asgard looked like a golden castle the inside was a fantasy writer’s dream come true. The giant windows were full of a myriad of colors representing the different battles of the Asgardian history, the floor was a pure white marble where their shoes resonated as they walked down looking into their reflections staring back up at him through the polished floors. As they walked they crossed each golden marble pillar he looked into the eyes of every soldier guarding their pillars with a smile, feeling like he was in London and should make the stony face men laugh or at the very least try, though the warning look Bruce gave him stopped his first and second attempt. Looking up Tony gaped at the amazing painting decorating the celling, screw the sixteenth chapel this was so much more amazing, he was debating just lying in the floor to have a better look when a strong voice caught his attention presenting Thor loudly.

"Sir Thor Odinson, God of Thunder and son of the All Father and the lady Freya, honoring the halls of the great Asgard with his presence!"

The doors at the end of the corridor opened for Thor as he stride proudly through them with his head held high and he didn't once look back as they closed back behind him leaving Tony and his two companions to face the man that yelled. The man was small, round and frankly was one top hat away from looking like the monopoly man and judging by Bruce’s raised eyebrow he was thinking the same thing.

"And who shall I announce... I mean beside you Sir Laufeyson..."

"Stark."

".... I beg your pardon." The little monopoly man look startled as Tony directly addressed him, ignoring Loki’s smug look as the trickster seemed quite happy to just let Tony do whatever he pleased and just stood back to see how much chaos his husband could stir up.

"Tony..."

"Anthony. Please, darling, this once." Tony rolled his eyes and sighed, considering this and giving in since they were in his own turf.

".... Fine Anthony and Loki Stark, accompanied by Doctor Bruce Banner."

"Sir Odinson that is not proper, I cannot..."

"You've heard my husband, why are you still arguing the man?"

The little man pale looking at Loki like he would rip his head from his little round corpse if he spoke another word, but as soon as his eyes landed on Tony his face was completely calm and very, very happy. So when the doors opened the three of them looked at the little monopoly man with questioning looks waiting for him to make his next move, refusing to move until he spoke.

"... Sir Loki and Anthony of Stark, God of Lies and... consort, accompanied by Sir Doctor Bruce of Banner!"

Tony didn't even need to turn to feel his best friend roll his eyes behind him at the title and its presentation. But his attention was caught by all the armor and toga wearing Asgardian standing court around the path of golden marble leading to the stairs where perched the throne of the All Father. Everyone was silent, which was impressive for such a crowd as they watched the billionaire with his hand on his husband’s arm. As he looked into the Asgardian's face he could see that all their eyes were on the trickster and he could see their eyes full of hate and fear as they watch the Prince of Asgard walk proudly to the throne ignoring their reaction. As they finally came to an halt, the scientist followed his lover’s lead and bowed deeply, peeking back to see Bruce looking bored and clearly not bowing to the All Father, the good doctor gave a little smile to him, before letting his eyes wander back to judging everyone who dared to stare at him. As he straightened up he looked at his husband’s adoptive father only to be faced with a very amazing glare given by one single eye and he really couldn't help himself.

"And I thought Fury had one crazy glare."

Loki turned to him hiding his grin from the God glaring now more impressively at him and turned back an expressionless face to his adoptive father. But all of Tony's attention was now on the stunning woman standing next to the All Father, she was a striking beauty in all her grace and just from standing to the king’s right, head high and eye full of power Tony could see were the strength in this couple laid. But what worried him more was Thor standing a little down the stairs jumping from foot to foot as his eyes kept jumping from his father to his brother, his carefree smile no longer in sight.

"Leave us!" The king voice boomed throughout the hall.

As one all the Asgardians moved out disappearing through every exit Tony could see and many he couldn't until the hall was empty except for the royal couple, their two sons and the two scientists. Loki was more tense at his side placing his other hand over Tony's, never looking away from the still glaring God on his throne. Thor was looking pale with worry, when finally the last toga wearing man closed the final door behind him.

"Father please, this is not necessary!"

Odin lifted his hand stopping his son from talking and finally lifted himself from his throne coming down the stairs, his cape dancing around his steps. The dazzling woman simply walked to her son, placing a calming hand on his arms and looked at the trickster with love-filled eyes.

"So you would be the man who tied himself to my son and shame my name in front of my subjects."

"How is it a shame for the man I tied myself to, as you put it, to bare my name."

"He is a God!"

"Tony Stark, billionaire, genius, philanthropist, ex-playboy now happily married to the amazing God of Lies. Still no shame, how about you?"

The poor old God seemed to be about to explode as Tony finished his little speech with a cheeky smile and a bow. Loki never stopped looking at his adoptive father, but squeezed the scientist’s hands comforting him, Bruce simply chuckled, now much closer than he had been before.

"I would be careful of your tongue little one, I have not approved of your marriage yet."

Holding out his ring and pointing to his husband’s ring, Tony looked at the God with another little chuckling smile.

"Yes, by the law of Midgard you might be united, but by Asgardian law you are to prove your worth to get the right to get my son...."

"I am not your son, he should therefore not have to prove his worth to you." Loki's voice was frosty as he looked at the All Father with a face Tony had last seen as the trickster threw him across the floor and through a window. But still the scientist stayed close to his husband, happy that all the weight of his frosty glare wasn't directed at him.

"You may not look like an Asgardian or hold us in your heart, but we are your parents and..."

"Freya is my mother, I do concede this point, but you cannot force me to call you my kin."

A feral smile appeared on the older God as he walked closer to his adoptive son peering at him like he had walked right into his trap.

"As the husband of your mother I deserve the right to test the one asking for your hand."

"Very well do as you please... All Father."

"I'm sorry, the-crazy-man-I-love say's what?"

Tony was looking from his husband’s frozen features to the older God’s gleeful expression as he called his battle axe to him twirling it as he approached the scientist. The genius was having a mild panic attack, before he felt a hand on his shoulder pulling back and away from Loki. Bruce stepped in front of Tony blocking the older access to the smaller man and gave a little nod to Loki who was now smiling smugly.

"I take Anthony Stark’s place in the trial as his champion. By the law of Asgard if the demander cannot fight to prove his worth he is allowed to name a champion to represent him in battle. I am his champion."

"Brucey no!"

He didn't know what was on the good doctor’s face but the older God seemed a little unstable as he looked into Banner’s eyes. But as the doctor turned back to face him, his face was set on his decision and he reach for the smaller man placing their foreheads together.

"It’s ok Tony, me and Loki thought the old goat would pull something like that on us and came up with the perfect solution. Let's be honest here, if Thor had been a little more subtle we might've been caught by surprise." The genius did remember his husband talking to someone in his workshop when he had been lost in his invention; he just had expected the conversation to be about this possibility.

"Yeah but there's a difference between beating up Thor for fun and beating up his father because he acts like an asshole... you know what never mind, make a Odin shaped hole into this beautiful marble."

"I knew it wouldn't take much to get you on our side."

Tony looked at Loki and pointed at him as Bruce took off his coat and sunglasses giving them to the genius for safe keeping.

"You and I will have words later about keeping secrets and conspiring with my best friend to arrange a God versus Hulk battle without me!"

"Your word is my command my darling." Loki gave him a little bow of his own showing him more respect than he had to his own ruler. Tony caught a weird look on the graceful goddess at the fondness and love leaking from his husband’s voice. "I will be Sir Banner’s witness in this battle for my hand and I suppose my dear brother shall be yours All Father."

Thor gave a little nod still looking worried, but mostly for his father, as he took his place on the stairs next to his brother standing a little behind Odin, who kept looking at Bruce like it was a done deal.

"I shall try to make this quick so as to not make you suffer little one."

Freya walked toward Tony placing her hand on his arm as she stirred him away, the genius looked back over his shoulder and followed the goddess as he saw friend turn green around the edges.

"Oh then I shall try to extend to same to you, old goat."

A feral grin crossed the good doctor’s mouth as the Hulk’s growl escaped his lips, his limbs growing and expending, standing now much taller and greener than before. Freya simply hummed looking a little bored at it all as Hulk turned to face Tony with a big goofy smile on his face. Odin for his part had taken a step back, but soon enough his face was back to a blank mask…the genius didn’t buy it for even one second the elder God should definitely take some blank expression class from the God of Mischief.

"My Tony! Hulk smash puny thundy father and then my Tony happy?"

"That's it jolly green! Have fun!"

Tony winced a little as the first punch threw the God over his throne, only encouraging his rage as he flow back brandishing his axe with a war cry. All four of them watched in silence as the two forces battled on, Hulk with glee at fighting another God and Odin in rising rage at his inability to keep the beast down. Freya seemed to finally have enough of the battle as she turned her attention to the genius.

"Your champion is quite impressive, but I would have words with you Sir Stark."

"I am all ears my lady."

Hulk passed through a pillar, standing back up he took the remains of the structure to use it as a baseball bat and Odin as his ball hitting him through a wall. Freya turned more fully toward him mostly blocking his view of the proceedings.

"I have to say I share a part of my husband’s concern toward you, especially as you are... mortal."

"How? Loki said…?"

"I am not fooled by a simple smell as my husband would Sir, but be assured I will not share your secret."

"I must say if my husband had had the blessing of sharing your blood, I would have had the misfortune of never catching his eyes as he would have been far out of my reach."

"... I can see why my son favors you with his heart, you are a shameless flirt Sir Stark."

"Tony please, as Loki considers you family then so shall I and so should you."

"I am surprised at your ease of tongue Sir... Tony."

"He didn't find me in the gutter my lady, I do know if completely necessary how to speak the tongue of the higher breed. Not that I enjoy it, but you are a welcome ear."

"Then let us speak freely. My son loves you, that I can see without needing to search his heart, you are good to him, similar very similar, but good for him. What I fear is the state you'll leave him in at your timely departure."

"About that..."

"I am no fool, I knew the reason of your presence here the moment I realized your status."

Behind the goddess’ shoulder Tony saw Hulk make his first Odin shaped hole in the marble floor and let out a sigh of relief as he watched some of the cuts made by the God’s axe knit back together.

"Then may I ask what you’re really asking me Milady?"

"When my son finds what he is looking for, as I know he will, will you take his gift with its price without a doubt or let him slip once again into insanity once the price has scared you away?"

Tony just stared at her, sparing a look at his husband, Loki caught his eyes and smiled softly to him ask with a raised eyebrow if the genius needed him. With that small movement Tony knew he couldn't live without this man and wouldn't want him to live without him, he really did love that crazy God.

"Whatever the price I would not leave my heart to drown without me at his side."

Freya studied his face, her eyes locked with his as more pillars came down behind them and seemed to find what she was looking for as she leaned down and placed a kiss to the smaller man’s forehead. Her touch was soft and light as her lips touched his forehead and really for Tony that was all the blessing he could ask for. The Goddess seemed to have the same thought as him, as she turned around placing her hand on his arm as her husband pass through a wall, coming back crashing a door his axe no longer in his hand and looking like he would soon turn the battle into a fist fight.

"I fear I grow bored of this nonsense, my husband has made his point, however useless and childish it was and has made enough of a fool of himself, don't you agree Tony?"

"I have to agree with you on this one Milady. I do fear, however, that this little display has not made your husband much loved by mine."

"He's a thick old man that one, I fear you might be right, but this relationship is not for us to meddle in."

"Yeah... I really wish I could agree with you, but fair warning if your better half was to find himself making my love feel miserable in anyway... I will insert myself between them."

"...I will not stop you and might even stand by you in this endeavor, because I fear I should have stood by my son much more over the years."

They both looked at each other and with a common nod, they made their way to the fight, Loki stepping next to them as they came closer, a worried look on his face.

"Darling?"

"It’s alright babe, just making small talk with your mum, she's quite a lovely lady, I see where you got your charm and wits."

Freya raised an eyebrow at the disappearance of any trace of his lordy posh voice and squeezed his arm one last time before she made her way to her husband with a sigh. Loki gave him a little look, but Tony simply shrugged, waving his hand around to say they would talk about it later. Freya placed her hand on her husband’s shoulder as the Hulk was about to smash him in the face, but the jolly green stopped his fist, giving the goddess a confused look.

"It is enough now husband."

"The battle has not yet been won! I will see this to its end!"

"I have given my approval of the match, it is done, our son is officially bound to Anthony Stark in the eyes of Asgard."

"... But I must fight for glory..."

"Glory is done Husband, our son his wed, your battle comes to a tie. You have both fought bravely and proven your worth. Now come and stop this nonsense."

"But!"

"Now husband!"

Tony smirked at the raise of tone and made a little move like he was holding a whip as the great God bowed his head to his wife and followed her out of the Great Hall. Hulk turned to Thor cracking his knuckles together, Thor was too stunned to see what was marching toward him and before Tony could do anything he was punched in the face and thrown through a wall right next to a Odin shaped hole. Jolly green chuckled happily clearly feeling up for more fighting and just as Tony was about to stop him Thor came out with a chuckle of his own and charged the green giant a big smile on his goofy face.

"Hopeless, the both of them really." Loki was looking at them with a touch of fondness and turned to his lover with a smile leaning down to place a kiss to his lips.

"Yeah but our life would be so boring without them. Should we stop them before they reduce your house to crumbles?"

"My house is where you are darling, let them play as they wish, I will show you the library."

With one last look at what had once been the great hall, Tony shrugged following his husband’s lead and only too happy to explore more of Asgard, so far his visit was awesome, especially the Hulk in full Asgardian armour, he would have to take some time for pictures.

 

++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++

 

Loki made sure to show every little place that the God still cherished in his home world, skipping every little place that brought dark memories not wanting them to taint his moment with his mate. The trickster ignored all the people they crossed, overlooked their gaze of fear as they realized who he was and took their time to make some extra step making sure they wouldn't cross his path. Anthony seemed content to simply smile at him and leaned a little more against him every time some of those fear filled Asgardian crossed their path, even going so far as to full on kiss the God if the fear turned into hatred. The God of Lies enjoyed it so much that he made sure to pass through as much Asgardian-filled corridors as he could, his lover soon caught up to his game and willingly started groping him and pushing in darks corner with a gleeful smile.

"Wasn't this supposed to be a private tour of Asgard? Because this looks more like a game of hide and hump babe."

"Well darling, you are allowed to tour this Asgardian as much as you want."

"If you let me tour much more, you should start thinking of showing me to your childhood bedroom, because this tour needs to turn into a nudist one."

Anthony leaned against the God plastering him against a pillar that hid them from the view of the soldier nearby and bit down on the trickster’s neck extracting a soft moan from his lips.

"... Darling this is not playing fair, need I remind you that you will need me in full power of my brain if you wish to ever get out of this armour... ha!... which will never happen if you keep on doing this."

Anthony chuckled softly against his neck; Loki shivered at the feeling of his lover’s hot breath caressing his throat and looked into whiskey brown eyes crinkling at the corners with a smirk and smugness.

"So, bedroom?"

"Be patient my love, there is one last place I wish for you to see. Come darling."

Placing his husband’s hand around his waist, Loki stepped away from their hiding spot behind the pillar catching the surprised look from a passing priestess and gave her a leering look as he nuzzled Anthony's neck. They were going down the final corridor to Loki's destination, when they came face to face with a glaring Banner and a relieved Thor.

"Brother! Man of Iron!"

Loki let Anthony untangle himself from the God's arms and watched as his mate took the glaring doctor in his arms letting his hands glide over the doctor even though he knew there was no trace of the battle left on him. Thor was looking at his brother over the two shorter men’s heads, jumping from one foot to the other looking very uncomfortable. The genius grabbed the doctor clothes that he had left on the floor as his hands had been otherwise occupied.

"You may leave brother, we will have words later."

With a quick nod the God of Thunder almost ran away and out of sight, his sigh of relief loudly echoing through the empty corridor. When Loki looked back at his lover, Anthony was helping Bruce back into his purple coat and placing his sunglasses back on his nose with a little smile of apology.

"You left me..."

"I know sweetie, but Jolly Green was having so much fun and you know I believe he needs his fun to."

"You better make it up to me."

"... Blow job?"

"I'll let you know."

"Love you too Brucey."

Anthony leaned up against Banner pressing his lips to his forehead in apology and took the doctor’s hand in his, holding out the other one for the trickster. Taking the offered hand, the God placed it back around his waist pulling his mate back against him careful not to disturb the tired looking Banner. They started to walk again until they reached a giant wooden door of a deep dark color guard by a single soldier, who to Anthony’s surprise actually gave a little smile to the trickster as he stepped away pushing the door open.

Loki's only had eyes for his mate as he watched the smaller man’s eyes widen at the sight appearing in front of them, even Bruce let out a little gasp of surprise clutching to Anthony’s arm. All around them all they could see were books, books covering every walls going up so high that they couldn't see the end of it only the light coming down from the glass ceiling over there head. In the center of the circular room stood a plush looking green leather sofa with two silver lamps casting a soft light at both ends. It was simply a tower of books all of which could be accessed with a dark wooden ladder that reached the very top of the ceiling. Anthony was unmoving as his eyes took in everything around him, his eyes so wide they look glossy and lost, his mouth hanging open as his hand squeezed Loki's waist in a way that would have been painful had the man been mortal. With a soft chuckle, the trickster placed his hand under his lover’s mouth closing it and finally catching his attention. Anthony’s eyes locked with his as they filled with love and something close to awe.

"Loki?"

"This, my darling, is my private library, I have collected books from all the dimensions, planets and worlds I ever visited. I am the only one allowed here and now both of you are too. If there is an answer to find to our little mortally problem it will be here."

Bruce finally seemed to shake himself off as he made his way to the plush sofa rubbing his eyes with a sigh as he let himself fall on it curling up with a happy sigh.

"You search, I nap, then I judge your inaptitude at searching and start my own research."

Finally moving, Anthony made his way to the doctor and took of his coat wrapping Banner in it. Loki watched as the doctor’s whole body relaxed in his sleep as he was wrapped in Anthony’s smell and the God felt a pang of envy. He watched a little more as Anthony started climbing the ladder to get a better look at the books and walked to him sliding the ladder to him so they were face to face. Turning around to face him with a raised eyebrow his mate searched his face looking for an answer, but Loki simply leaned against him hiding his face in the scientist’s neck taking in his smell.

"Aren't we supposed to be looking for books?"

"Maybe you are, but I do love Banner’s idea of a break and you are distracting me with this." Loki slid his hands on his lover’s backside, squeezing those perfect round globes.

"You say no in the corridor, but now that daddy is sleeping on the sofa you feel like it... kinky babe, creepy but kinky."

With a sigh Loki leaned back keeping his hands where they were, because really he wasn't that strong. Anthony placed his arms around his neck pulling him closer so their foreheads were resting against each other looking into each other’s eyes.

"You’re right of course, let’s find some books, leave them for Bruce to check and find that bedroom we were talking about. How does that sound?"

"More respectful, less kinky... a little disappointing babe."

"I'll find a way to make you enjoy it."

Finally letting go of his lover’s backside, before he changed his mind and simply took him against the ladder, Loki walked under the ladder keeping a hand on it to pull Anthony around as he looked at book at eye level and his lover higher up. It wasn't long before they had a good pile of books piled up at the good doctor’s feet and Anthony’s thoughts seemed to turn something else as he looked down at the trickster with a questioning look in his eyes.

"Babe... Loki?"

"Yes my love?"

"What did...What did Odin meant when he said you look different?"

The trickster froze halting his pulling a little too fast, so Anthony tightened his hold on the bars of the ladder at the rough stop still looking down at him. The God had thought he would have more time before this particular subject came to be brought to light. But as he looked into his better half’s eyes he knew he couldn't hide this from him, his life had been a lie for the biggest part of his life and he didn't want there to be any lie in their relationship. And still...

"Later darling... look this book might be interesting."

"But..."

"Later Anthony."

"Loki? What...."

"Tony I said later!" From the corner of his eyes the trickster saw the doctor stir in his sleep and stayed quiet making sure he hadn’t raise the man from his slumber, once sure Loki looked back toward his husband to see his face closed off.

Too late the God realized he had just used his husband’s nickname for the first time and watched in horror as Anthony flinched back at his tone climbing back down with a hurt look in his eyes. The scientist had his arms around him looking like he was trying to protect himself, his eyes cast down and all the God of Lies could see passing through his mind was the video Banner had shown him of the billionaire’s father.

"Sorry I’ll let it go... sorry."

A shiver of remorse passed through him as he watched his husband turn from him, his eyes full of hurt and something the God never wanted to put in his lover’s eyes ever again, fear. The God had his better half pressed against his chest before he could think, his arms trapping him in his embrace, never wanting to let go.

"Do not apologize for my lack of restraint my love. You did nothing wrong, it is my issue not yours. You poked an old wound, I shouldn't have lashed out at you. I'm sorry darling, I'm sorry."

".... You’re the only one."

".... What?"

"You’re the only one I let call me Anthony."

"..."

"Because you’re the only one who fills this name with love. But right now when you called me... Tony... I felt.... like I did when my father called me by my full name. Like a kid... like a little kid scolded for spilling oil over his father plans for the next big flying car...."

"Shh darling, shhhh. It’s all right, I’m sorry you'll never hear this tone in my voice ever again, that I swear to you."

"... Liar. We'll fight again, this is our first one, but we'll fight again and you know it."

"Maybe, but I'll never use that tone and that name against you ever again. Do you know why I used your full name darling?"

"... Because it’s fun to moan?" Loki chuckled softly if his husband was back to sex talk, he was already feeling better.

"Yes and because it is the name of a warrior, of a proud man who fights for what is right and isn't afraid to bare the weight of the world on his shoulders if only so his partner will not have to. It is the way I see you my love and your name fit your brave heart. That is why you are my Anthony and always will be."

Anthony finally looked up, his hands leaving his own waist to rest against the God’s waist, his expression now more relaxed and very close to happiness.

"And that's why you’re the only one. I love you Loki Stark."

"I love you Anthony Stark."

Making a decision on the spot the God captured his husband’s lips in a soft kiss, asking for entry with his tongue as he transported them to his bed chamber. As his mate’s back touched the bed, pinning him under the God of Lies, Loki let his glamour slip away from him.

++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++

Tony looked up as Loki's lips left his expecting to find startling green eyes and pale white skin, only to find a complete stranger. Instead of storming green, the scientist was faced with blood red crimson eyes and the snow white skin was now a valley of ridge frosty blue. The scientist knew his mouth was hanging open, he knew that Loki was adopted, he knew most of the story behind the Odinson family, knew about the Jotun or at the very least all he could find on the subject... but this was a surprise. Loki mistaking his silence for shame or disgust turned his eyes away from him, his eyes filled with sadness that Tony did not want to see there. Catching his lover’s face between his hands Tony pulled him down to his lips kissing him as softly as Loki had been before smiling as his hot breath ghosted white at the coldness of his lover breath. Tony started to move his hands over the God’s exposed skin marveling as his flesh prickled under the icy cold feeling of the blue body under his hands. He kept capturing those amazing blue lips in his, softly nibbling at Loki's lower lips smiling smugly as his action finally relaxed the God’s shoulders and pulled a soft sigh from the trickster’s throat.

"Babe... Loki sweety, armor off before you lose all your brain power."

"Armor first, then I'll put back my glamour...."

"Don't you dare!"

The surprise in his lover’s eyes at his tone was almost sad, since it was followed closely by shame as the God looked at his arms surrounding Tony. A shame that made the scientist want to march down the hall until he could find that horrible God that had made the man he loved think he wasn't worthy or love and even worse made him think his true self was shameful. Placing his hands softly on his husband’s cheeks Tony locked his gaze with the God so he could see only his love and lust for his true form.

"Anthony?"

"Armor off now."

Loki look at him surprise filling his eyes, as their armor disappeared in a green smoke leaving them both naked. With a smile Tony bucked under the God, flipping them over so he was straddling the leaner man’s waist, plastering his hands on the God’s torso, sprawling his fingers over the marks covering his husband’s body. He started tracing the swirls and marks with his fingers, the scientist licked his lips wanting to explore every part of this new side of his lover.

"Beautiful... absolutely gorgeous."

Tony watch in awe as Loki's checks turned a deeper blue now more navy blue than the rest of his natural frosty sapphire. Completely besotted with his husband Tony leaned down taking his lover’s lips into a possessive adoring kiss, only lifting up when his lungs cried for air.

"I never thought I would ever be the kind of man to say this, but babe... you’re mine!"

Leaning down again he bit down on the God's neck until he felt the skin under his teeth break leaving a mark he soothed it by licking it softly, a little growl escaping his mouth at the sight of it. Finally deciding to participate Loki clasped his hands around the smaller man’s waist, making the genius shiver at the cool feeling. Plastering himself against the blue chest under him, Tony allowed the trickster to flip them back into their original position.

"As you are mine, little tease!"

Loki bit down on the genius’ shoulder just like the smaller man had done before leaving a mark as he broke the skin, a mark that would stay there forever. Reaching down between their bellies Tony gave a pleased moan as he found his partner’s cock endowed with the same ridges and swirls as his entire body. Tugging a little to get his lover to follow his program, he smiled as Loki's body was racked with a shiver of anticipation. The God of Lies grabbed his hands pinning them over his head as his crimson eyes roomed over his body already covered in sweat.

"Little tease." The words were more growled than anything else as the first finger breached his hole already lubed and cold, making the genius shiver at the feeling.

"Yours, only....Ah!... Yours!"

Already slipping a second finger in, Loki found the sweet spot inside him that made him see stars, his eyes rolling back until he thought he could see his brain. He could hear the God chuckle over him, feel his eyes sweep over him as the trickster watched his every reaction. He opened his eyes catching those beautiful crimson eyes in his, seeing all the love reflected in them he lifted his hips in anticipation, pleased to find no trace of shame and only lust.

"More.... please baby I need... more... inside.... ah!... please!"

Loki simply chuckled, pushing once more for good measure and Tony was pretty sure, to hear him beg for more, Loki pulled out with one final twist as a moan escaped the genius’ throat. The God stopped moving until Tony finally got his sight back, the scientist was about to complain, but as soon as he caught his husband’s eyes, Loki pushed all the way in, in one smooth move making the stars come back.

The genius was a complete mess as his God lover took his sweet time, pulling in and out at a pace that hit his prostate every time he pushed back in seating himself fully inside the smaller man before pulling back almost all the way out and repeating the action until the genius was shaking with the need to come. His hands were still held on each side of his head, Loki's eyes watching his every reaction and snooping in every time Tony's mouth fell open to devour his moans of pleasure swallowing every sound that escaped his mouth before they could break out of his throat.

Tony just knew that if he looked down his cock would be flushed, red and leaking pre-come like a fountain, but the feeling of Loki making love to him for the very first time in his real form was too good. He wanted to feel Loki filling him, his eyes full of love as the God refused to look away even while he devoured his mouth and as the cold blue skin brushed against him. But it was nothing compare to the feeling of that cold fantastic cock stretching him tight, making him shiver at the coldness, as the ridge hit every tender part inside him making him feel raw and open. His eyes rolled back again as he finally found release in the slow pace set by his lover sent him over the edge completely untouched, something that had never happened since... well since his crazy teen years.

Once he slumped back against the bed completely boneless, Loki finally sped up his pace ramming against his tender hole, until it was almost painful and just as Tony was about starting to squirm under him at the raw feeling, Loki stilled over him finding his own release. Tony couldn't help the moan that escaped his lips as he felt himself being filled with his lover’s come as Loki fell down on top of him going limp. Loving the feeling of Loki's cold skin over his sweat covered body, Tony let him rest over him until the cold started to make him shiver in a much less pleasing way.

"Hum Loki, sweety, babe.... I love you... I absolutely love your amazing, beautiful blue skin and I want to see that sight of you as much as I can and we better do this again soon... but I'm a little cold."

Loki chuckled softly against his neck as his skin slowly turned back to its lovely creamy white color and the feeling of coldness was replaced by the familiar warmth of his lover’s glamour. Loki lifted his head turning them around with a graceful pull so Tony was lying on top of the lean body of his husband looking down into startling green eyes. What he was surprised to see was the uncertainty as Loki seemed to look everywhere but at him, avoiding his gaze.

"Loki?"

"I'm not sure... I've never... None of my.... lovers... have seen this side of me. My father.... Odin told me it was a shameful form and that I should embrace my Asgardian side and bury my Jotun heritage as deep as I could. It is not... I was afraid you might leave me if you saw me like this."

Tony would punch Odin in the face the next time he saw him, there was no and or buts, he would punch the All Father in the face and suffer the consequence of punching an all-powerful being just for the satisfaction of it. He would enjoy every second of it and then would use his other fist to do it again and then maybe use his feet a little just for emphasis. But right now he was in bed with the most amazing man lying under him and still unable to look him in the eyes.

"Loki, look at me." The trickster finally stopped staring at the wall and looked into his eyes.

"You are gorgeous as you are, the way you look would never change my love for you. I love your crazy mind as much as I love your body and that you be blue or creamy white doesn't change anything. Hey, as long as it’s you, I don't care about the way you look."

The God of Lies’ eyes went round as he searched the scientist’s, his arms coming around Tony more firmly as he seemed to only find truth. A devilish smile reached Tony's face as an idea reached the very dirty part of his brain.

"Babe, would you be against the idea of buying flavored lube so I can suck you off your blue skin like you were a popsicle?"

The God just looked at him as Tony grinned down at him, licking his lips at the very thought.

"What flavor?"

"I was thinking black raspberry."


	3. Lets go to the ball and fence

Once Anthony was finally awake, his eyes focusing on the God as they lit up at the sight of him, the trickster smiled back happily curling his arms more tightly around the smaller body. His mate nuzzled his nose in his neck humming his content as Loki's hands made slow circles on his back.

"Darling, you are the most precious thing I possess... I don't think I'd survive losing you."

"That's why we’re here babe, I never want to leave you behind... Oh God we left Brucey again!"

Anthony sprung to his feet looking around for clothes that weren't there, the God of Lies enjoyed the show of his lover’s backside dancing before his eyes, before finally taking pity on him. Reciting the spell for his mate’s armor, green smoke rose from his fingers curling around his lover’s feet and covering his entire body as Anthony casted him a smug smile before his face disappeared in smoke. As the smoke cleared Anthony was much closer, leaning over the still naked God with a new piece to his armour, a golden helmet, an exact replica of Loki's, just to see the very smug look on the trickster face at being copied in such a kinky fashion. Deciding to try to understand his husband’s helmet kink and grabbed the horns to pull his mate down as Anthony's eyes rolled upward as he came down with a chuckle. Using his hold on the horns the trickster leaned his mate’s head a little to the side and captured his lips with a hungry growl keeping him in place as he devoured his mouth. He slipped his tongue inside the parted lips chasing after his lover’s taste and bit down in his lower lip as he pulled back, happy to see the dazed look in Anthony's eyes.

"I think I understand your love of my helmet darling."

"Hmmm? Oh yeah, were so having helmet sex later."

With a chuckle, Loki rolled off his bed letting his armor drape itself around himself and flung himself around the smaller man’s body chuckling as their helmets clashed against each other.

"Oh that’s gonna be fun, all our horns clashing together, rubbing together-"

Loki captured his mate’s lips before he could say anything else not trusting himself to not just lead them both to the bed again and transported them back to his private library before he could change his mind. As he lifted his head releasing his lover’s lips, he caught the eyes of an amused Banner sitting on the couch surrounded by all the books he and Anthony had placed there and a few new ones.

"Well at least this time you left me in an interesting place and not surrounded by a crazy God with an axe, a smiling goof of a thunder God and a top model goddess. Hey Tony, nice helmet!"

"Brucey! Pleased you know I look fierce."

With one final kiss Anthony walked to his friend turning his head on all sides to show off his helmet before taking it off and placing it on a pile of book next to the good doctor, placing himself close enough to the doctor to read over his shoulder his eyebrows coming up in surprise.

"Oh we are not sacrificing twelve virgins and an elephant to make me an Indian God!"

"I don't know Tony, I'm pretty sure you could pull off the six arms look."

"Nope."

Loki walked over; peering over both scientists’ heads to look at the book Banner was looking over chuckling at the picture the both of them were staring at. The good doctor turned the page and both men jumped back at the picture of a man with a hyena head.

"Yeah sweety Brucey keep looking for something... you know that won't change me physically into, you know THAT!"

"Oh but darling you would look so cute."

Both his husband and the doctor turned back looking at him with very un-impressed looks that made the God back-up, his hands in the air as he turned back to his books to search for another answer. He climbed the ladder pulling book after book and casting a small spell so they started floating after him looking like a flock of colorful birds flapping after him.

Soon enough the three men were sitting next to each other, Anthony tucked against his side flipping through a book, his legs in Banner’s laps and the trickster holding the heaviest book with one hand the other massaging his mate’s neck. Every solution given so far were impossible, crazy or would turn Anthony into something that wouldn't be him anymore. But still they flicked through every page, Banner or Anthony sometimes chuckling and showing each other weird spells or pictures. The silence had reigned supreme in the library when the doors opened with a loud bang as Thor came crashing in his loud voice booming in the tower disturbing its peaceful occupants.

"Brother, there you are! Father-"

"Odin! And get out!"

"But Brother.... Odin has prepared a feast for our guests! Everyone is waiting to meet your spouse and his friend!"

With a sigh the trickster went back to his book, ignoring his brother, he really did not need this attempt from the King of making peace and surely did not want people who hated him to get close to his mate.

"You are still asked to.get.out. and you can go back to Odin and...."

As if on cue Anthony’s stomach grumbled and his mate gave him a sheepish look under his eyelashes. His mouth moved into a little grimace, but soon enough Banner’s own stomach made its own little cry sounding a lot like a mini Hulk roar.

"Tell him we’ll be there shortly."

"Oh I came to escort the man of Iron and the good doctor, mother requested your presence."

Loki looked down at his lover searching his eyes and finally with a sigh placed a kiss on the smaller man.

"I'll see you in a moment darling."

Anthony gave him a small smile and the God detangled himself from his mate passing his brother without a look for the blond goof.

++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++

It was a mess, a right mess, a mess that was about to give a headache to the genius. Everyone was staring at him as he was introduced by Thor as the man of Iron, but Tony realized never as Loki's husband. The genius had his suspicion that in front of his all-powerful father Thor was reduce to petty prejudice. Deciding to wait for his better half’s return before saying anything and then again only because Bruce keep pulling him back every time the subject of Loki breached anyone’s mouth, always polite of course but still the sarcasm was heavy with each mention. The doctor was just glaring at everyone keeping a firm arm on the genius not letting anyone come too close or even touch him. It would have been funny if not for the fact that everyone present keep trying to touch his armour or pull his cheeks like crazy aunts. Thor had been proudly presenting him around, when he just slipped through the crowd disappearing out of sight and leaving the two smaller men to the wolves.

The walls of people closed on them all questioning eyes and reaching hands, Bruce seemed to finally have had enough as he let out a powerful growl freezing everyone on the spot.

"Enough! Step the fuck back or I'll crush your faces to the ground!"

Tony was speechless, fighting between being horrified by Bruce swearing or giggling at the shock on the Asgardian faces as they stepped away and started to mingle between themselves giving them space. The doctor kept a hand around Tony's waist as he steered him toward the buffet table with a grim expression.

"I hate crowds."

"Aw Brucey, it’s alright, you’re my knight in shining armor."

Bruce finally met his eyes and for the first time since they had entered the Great Hall, now filled with tables full of food and people in long dresses, and his face going relax as he leaned toward him to press a kiss to his forehead. As he leaned back, he shoved a plate into Tony's hand and started to fill it with food and forcing a cup of wine in his other hand. Once the plate was full and Bruce seemed happy with their collection he steered them toward the very back of the hall hiding them behind a pillar. Tony raised both hands as Bruce started picking at the food eating it with his fingers.

"Brucey I would like to eat too. Didn't my doctor tell me I needed to eat more?"

"... Whatever." The doctor said with a little teasing smile.

With a shrug Bruce kept eating until the genius gaped at him and using the opening the doctor shoved some food in his mouth officially shutting him up. They keep on going until the plate was almost empty, Bruce placing food in the genius mouth every time he opened his mouth and tapping Tony's arm every time he wanted the scientist to raise the cup so he could drink from it.

Bruce was feeding him something tasting like beef but probably wasn't when Thor finally came back followed closely by a small brunet looking very fierce, a large man eating an impressive leg of meat, a dashing blond man who looked fabulous and a very quiet stony face Mongolian looking man.

"Man of Iron! Doctor Banner! There you are I have brought my friends to meet you! Let me introduce you to the warrior four! The Lady Sif, Volstagg the Voluminus, Fandral the Dashing and Hogun the Grim!"

Taking away Tony's plate and cup Thor threw them to the wall with a great laughter as his four companions stepped to them shaking hands and introducing themselves under Bruce watchful eyes. The big man Volstagg clapped the genius’ back almost sending him flying thought the wall as he loudly laughed about the battles Thor had told him about and how impressed he was at such a small warrior. Soon enough the bigger Asgardian’s gigantic piece of meat was gone and he left with a final clap to the banquet table. He was soon replaced by the dashing fabulous blond man as he stepped into Tony's personal space leering at him with a flirty smile.

"I heard of your reputation from our blond friend little man, what would you say to a private meeting?"

Tony could feel Bruce rolling his eyes behind his back, as he gave a charming smile to the dashing blond man waving his ring finger in front of the God’s blue eyes.

"Already taken fabulous."

"Doesn't mean we couldn't..."

"Oh but it does, my other half is quite the jealous possessive type, just as I am."

The blond eyebrows rose to his hair line as he stepped away then with a smug smile giving a nod of understanding, but there was still a glint of challenge in his eyes. The blond took his place next to Thor leaning on his shoulder very much invading the God of Thunder’s personal space and which earned him a glare from the warrior lady. Jealousy and longing were fighting on her face as she turned to the genius, her face changing into a soft smile that Tony knew was completely fake. This was a woman head over heels in love with a man who loved someone else and could never be hers. She moved to him with that sad fake smile and Tony decided he might like her.

"Lady Sif." Tony bowed a little, kissing her hand as her smile became more genuine and her body more relaxed.

"Thor has not lied to us when he said you were a charmer, cast me charmed."

Tony answered her smile, chatting amicably with the woman, discovering how charming the warrior could be until her face froze and turned into a scowl of pure hatred as she looked at something over his head. Turning around to see the reason of her scowl Tony saw Loki walking toward him with a blank expression only just leaving his mother’s side.

"The snake is back in the nest."

"I beg your pardon?"

"The traitor should have been killed!"

The words were hissed as she kept staring at his husband like she could set him on fire just with the force of her hatred. All good sentiment he’d had for the woman flew away as the genius’ feeling of protectiveness came bubbling up, he wanted to kill this woman. Schooling his face back into neutral he leaned toward the warrior with a little smile, catching her attention.

‘‘Come, come my lady such rage has turned your pretty face ugly." The lady soft smile returned a little.

"Such a silver tongue man of Iron, careful I might be tempted to take notice of your attention."

"Oh I wouldn't if I were you. My love’s beauty, his kind heart, his passion and his intelligence confine my heart to only seek people as beautiful as him and you lady do not even deserve to walk on the ground his feet touch."

Her smile froze as Tony's smile turned cruel, he could hear Bruce chuckle next to him and the doctor slightly tapped his back. As the Lady was about to answer the tap gave him a warning at the closeness of his husband. Without looking back, Tony turned on his heels, opened his arms easily capturing the trickster into his embrace as he caught his lover’s lips with a possessive kiss and a little growl. When he finally let him breath, Tony leaned their forehead together happy to finally see a smile appeared on the God’s face, long white hands cradling his waist.

"I missed you my love."

"Missed you too darling, I should stay away more often if I am to get you in my arm this way every time."

With a chuckle Tony gave his husband one last kiss before turning in his arms to face three very shocked Asgardians and one stony faced Mongolian. Sif was so red she looked about to explode, Fandral looked like he was having a stroke and Volstagg had come back and was now choking on his food, his eyes full of water. Hogun was just staring at the both of them, his eyes going from Loki’s happy face to Tony’s smug smile and to Tony's surprise he gave a little nod of approval and turned back to Thor who was looking a little worried. Loki seemed too caught on the awkwardness that was going around and decided to follow the genius’ lead, keeping his shit eating grin plastered on his face.

"Oh did I fail to mention Loki is my husband?" From there surprised face Thor had omitted quite a few things about his brother before their arrival.

Sif turned the glare she had reserved to Loki to him, but instead of responding she turned around with one last murdering look to them and walk away. Fandral took Volstagg’s arm and dragged him away as the big man looked about to pass-out, his dashing face going hard with hatred for the first time as his eyes landed on the God of Lies. Thor just looked as his friends walked away one by one and went after Lady Sif calling after her. Hogun watched passively as all the warriors walked away and finally turned to the couple walking to them his face still as he offered his arm to the trickster. Loki stiffened between him and slowly lifted his hand from Tony's waist clasping the other warrior’s arm. They nodded at each other in some kind of understanding, finally the silent man stepped away bowed to Tony and walked away to.

"Babe, what just happened?"

"Hogun the Grim just gave us his... blessing."

"He's your friend or something?"

"He was... let’s say he was the one I was closest to. He never... never seemed to blame me as the others did. Now this, he might be a greater ally than I thought."

"I like him then."

The three of them spent the remaining of the banquet observing the custom to the Asgardian and playing pranks on them... mostly on Thor once he returned, this time alone. Once the festivity died down they retired to their chamber, Bruce taking the chamber across from theirs giving them a little glare before going in.

"This room better be sound proof trickster."

The door closed with bang and Loki pulled him in as the genius dissolved in a fit of giggles feeling more happy than he’d ever been in all his life, this man, both of these men made him want to live forever just to be able to keep making them smile.

++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++

The following days were spent much the same, Bruce and Loki would go to the library reading everything they could find and scrapping the bottom of the barrel for every scrape of information they could muster. Anthony after the first day couldn't be asked to just stand still and his eyes started to cross after too much reading. So he started to explore the great palace accompanied by Thor.

So every morning Loki would wake up with his lover in his arms and watch as the light played on his skin. He was always amazed to be allowed to hold such a precious treasure in his arms and felt a soft glow of love pass through him as his eyes were met with whiskey brown slowly awakening before filling with the same love as they filled with intelligence. Then as Anthony came awake he would crawl higher on the trickster’s body taking his lips in a searing kiss, before they could finally get dressed and head for breakfast. They would then walk together to the library, collecting Banner on the way and his husband would disappear to find Thor.

On one particular afternoon just as Loki was going out to get some food for himself and the doctor he came face to face with his brother looking around him not seeing the familiar brown hair and flash of red and gold. Not seeing or even hearing Anthony anywhere, Loki turned a hard stare on his brother.

"Thor, where is Anthony?"

"... The man of Iron? After the first day of exploring Asgard I haven't seen him at all."

Not even listening to his brother as he asked where Anthony was, Loki simply closed the door of the library in the Thunder God’s face. Banner lifted his head from his book looking at the God with a questioning look, completely ignoring the shouting God on the other side of the door.

"I asked for food not a thundering Thor."

"Do you know where Anthony is?"

".... I believe he would be next to the thundering Thor."

"Thor hasn't seen him in days."

Banner’s eyes flashes green as he stood up passing Loki like he was on a mission and passed Thor ignoring him completely as he made his way through the corridors. The trickster followed him without asking any questions knowing better than to question the doctor when he was in this state. Soon enough Banner entered his chamber and Loki found him on the floor going through his bag. The doctor finally found what he was looking for and lifted something looking like a small mobile with a grunt of success.

"Banner?"

"You know when your best friend is the man that every criminal organization and even governmental organization wants to kidnap or kill, you get to be the person who worries for him all day long when he's away from your sight. It took me a month to get tired of the worries, of the sleepless night, or wanting to kill everyone who threatens to take him away. So one night while he was asleep I injected a tracking device into his blood stream."

"I'm impressed."

"I'm not, you have access to magic and haven't already covered him in tracking spell."

"Something I now see I should have done a long time ago."

Banner rolled his eyes and activated the device, going into the hall and following the red dot blinking on his screen. Loki followed closely very impressed with the level of paranoia his counterpart was displaying when it came to his lover. They pass through many corridors, the God of Lies finally realizing the path they were taking and really started to worry as the dot started blinking faster as they approach the training court.

The God of Mischief was so lost in his worries that he walked into a very stunned Banner, who had stopped moving his eyes completely focused on the spectacle taking place in the middle of the training court. Anthony was twirling a long but slim Asgardian sword from one hand to the other, the blade caught in the light making him look like a creature of fairy tales with his golden armor and a devilish grin. Loki was just staring, he knew he eyes were wide open and his mouth slightly a gape, but he came from a warrior nation that worshiped war and seeing his mate so clearly master the art of fencing, was too much of a turn-on for the God. But before he could make a move something else caught his attention and he looked away just long enough to see Hogun wielding a spear walking away from a pile of weapons and as soon as he was close enough, he lunge forward attacking his husband.

Anthony jumped away stopping the twirling of his sword and as the spear passed him, he turned on himself redirecting the weapon away with one fluid stroke of his sword. Hogun, not one to turn down a challenge, kept his attack. the God of Mischief could see that the silent Aesir was not putting all his strength into his blows, but still the Mongolian was a deadly warrior expert at every Asgardian weapon he could lay his hands on and seeing as he wasn't able to place one blow was impressive. The spare like this for a while, Anthony using his small frame and impressive muscles to move with his sword, moving gracefully away or closer, but always a moving target. Hogun froze staring at the smaller man with raised eyebrows and Loki clearly heard his mate sigh as he placed his sword in his other hand before he crouch down preparing for another attack. The Mongolian stepped away and went back to the pile of weapons selecting two short swords before walking back and bowing a little.

As soon as his head was up he lept forward his sword at the ready and angled his attack toward the liver. Anthony jumped away just as he had before, but he wasn't holding his sword with his strong hand anymore and had more difficulty answering the silent man blow for blow. Soon enough he was on his back his sword swept away and Hogun pointing one of his blade to his throat. Anthony tapped the ground in surrender and went to fetch his sword with a grin going back to twirling it around from hand to hand while Hogun studied him next to his pile of weapon.

"I don't understand why you insisted I learned from both hands, the right one is the stronger one, I should just stick to that one." Hogun raised an eyebrow.

"Yes I know you want to train both equally because you never know what might happen and all that warrior jazz. But still...." Hogun inclined his head.

"Yeah, yeah such a bossy man." Hogun leaned down and grabbed a bow and arrow.

Anthony stopped his twirling his face turning into a scowl as he ran to the side on the sand to grab the other sword identical to the one he was holding with a practiced roll he came back standing with both swords in his hands as he started running toward the silent God. Hogun was taking his time clearly showing the smaller man where he was about to shoot before releasing his arrows forcing the genius to run in zigzag jumping away to stay away from the arrows path. Four arrows came dangerously close to the scientist and as the fifth was released Loki saw that his mate wasn't going to be fast enough and teleported himself catching it with his bare hand before it could touch Anthony. His mate to his credit didn't run into him, but rolled away with a practiced move coming back up, one sword ready to strike the other place in defense. Loki glared at the silent God still holding his bow and an arrow ready to shoot.

"Loki?"

The God of Mischief turned to his startled mate, Anthony was standing frowning at him his swords in his limp hands. Keeping the arrow in his hand Loki reached for his mate with the other and caressed his cheek looking for any kind of damages.

"Darling are you all right?" Anthony gave him a reassuring grin, Hogun raised an eyebrow.

"Of course! I'm sorry, sweety did we scare you?"

"What are you doing letting a God shot arrows at you, my love?"

"Look at the end of the arrow babe."

Loki look down at the arrow in his hand to find the end of it covered by a small brown ball turning it into a dull point, even if one of those arrows had touched Anthony they would only bruised.

"What are you two doing?"

"Oh! Hogun proposed to train me, he said that as the consort of a warrior I should myself be trained in the art of war or else I'd be nothing else but a fragile lady in need of rescuing."

"Hogun.... said?" Sparing a look for the silent Aesir Loki only saw him nodding and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah he just kept on bitching about my sword play the first two days because I was so rusty, he's so bossy."

"Let's put that impossibility aside for a moment... How did you come about to training with Hogun?"

"Oh, well when Thor brought me to a guided tour of Asgard he lost me and...."

"He what!"

"Not the interesting part here babe. As I was saying he lost me and I just started wandering the corridors not really knowing where I was and found myself here. I started playing with the weapons and Hogun found me. He was really nice, super chatty and proposed to train me. That's it!"

Loki turned to Banner asking for strength but found the doctor sitting in the shades with a book he had no idea where the small man had found. The good doctor looked up clearly not wanting to be part of whatever crazy was happening now that he knew Anthony was safe and sound, well as much as a Stark could be.

There was a sound of metal hitting wood behind the God and he turned to see Hogun holding an impressive looking sword and a wooden shield his lips press tightly together. Anthony sighed smiling over Loki's shoulder and gave the trickster a kiss on the cheek before pushing him to the side.

"Such a bossy man, I'm sorry babe but if I don't at least finish this hour I'll never hear the end of it."

With one more unsure look at the silent Aesir, Loki went to sit next to Banner keeping a watchful eye on the fighting men, not wanting an accidental cut to rob him of his better half. But to his relief it quickly became clear that Hogun was being very careful handling every weapon he chose with grace. He also soon realised that although Anthony seemed to answer to the God every time he moved a muscle of his face, the silent Aesir stayed quite silent.

"How does he even know what Hogun wants?" The God mused as Anthony started another rant.

"Oh my God! I am protecting my side I told you I was back with this hand. Yeah well it’s harder with both hands I have to think of everything! What do you mean shut down my brain? DUDE!"

Banner finally looked up from his book with a smirk, looking at the God with pity.

"You know for a man who so rarely acts like he understand social convention, Tony is actually really good at reading people. Body language is like actually speaking to him, I mean we had whole fights without me even saying a word to him. If you look closely this Hogun character has a lot of facial tics and tells so for someone like Tony he must indeed be quite chatty."

Bruce gave a shrug like it was the most obvious thing in the world and went back to his reading now armed with two more books. Paying more attention to the other God, Loki indeed saw that the silent man had a lot of little frowns and that his eyebrows were quite expressive as he silently moved attacking Anthony. With one final blow that was beautifully blocked by his husband, Hogun gave a little bow and clasped the smaller man’s arm before walking away.

Anthony sheathed his sword to his hips and came to the God lying on the ground his head pillowed on the trickster’s thigh, his hand going to Banner ankles. Loki passed his hands through his mate’s soaked hair smiling as the smaller man’s eyes tried to fight their initial reaction of just rolling back at the feeling.

"You know darling I could have trained you if you had asked."

"Of course I know you would have babe, but I wanted it to be a surprise. I know I'm not completely powerless, what with my suit and my super brain and all, but you come from a warrior nation and I felt like I should try blending in. I mean I did some fencing when I was younger so I know how to hold a sword and all, but this is so much more intense... but I kind of love it."

"If you enjoy it my love, then I am pleased. Seeing you wielding the sword so well is a sight that pleased me more than you know."

Anthony rubbed his head on the trickster’s thigh with a smug little smile.

"Oh I think I can feel how pleased your spear is."

Banner groaned hiding his grin in his book, as the God chuckled leaning down to press a kiss to his mate’s forehead.

"Plus can you imagine how awesome my suit would look with sword attached to my back!"


	4. Through the mirror

The trips to the library became fewer and fewer as the God and the doctor finally had a pile of recipes and spells that they thought could help them. They relocated their experiment to the trickster’s rooms, in his private study, where all his precious equipment was still stored and where Banner finally gave him a look of pure appreciation. Anthony still trained at the very least five hours a day with Hogun, getting truly deadly with his Asgardians swords. But the highlight of the God of Lies’ day was when his husband returned from his training a huge smile on his face to help them with their experiment.

They were in the middle of one of those experiments, Banner wearing Anthony’s trousers and shirt since he had decided that bringing his own clothes would be a waste of space filled instead by his own equipment, since he had the Asgardian armour and he knew he could steal any of Anthony’s clothes, the genius preferring to wear his armour. Anthony had removed his heavy coat and replaced his suit boots with regular leather booths provided by Loki and a pair of large goggles that he had found goodness knew where. The large goggles covered half of his face only leaving crazy hair, wide smile and goatee, Banner had commented on his husband looking like a steam-punk inventor, Loki wasn't sure what that meant but the genius had been wearing the damn things since then. Loki had simply removed his cape and helmet, leaning against the wall as the good doctor and his husband were hunched over the table measuring different ingredient with great care.

“Tony, we need four drops of the Wargof blood.”

"Four drops of the purple stuffy goo coming up!"

"... and hair of the batty looking creature."

"The orange one or the grey one?"

"Grey and it says a pinch... so just, yeah a pinch."

"Pinch coming up!"

Loki watched closely as Anthony and Banner made the final touches to the potion, looking over the piles and piles of notes and recipes, the trickster finally found what they were cooking up today, a formula that should make it impossible for Anthony to ever get hurt. The God’s attention was caught back by the two scientists as his better half and the good doctor took a step back and he heard the little giggle his husband did every time he was about to see an explosion. Taking a look at the little bubbling vial fuming violently and with a sigh the God took a step forward pulling the two smaller men by their collars. He tucked both of them behind him and raised his personal shield with another sigh, just as the small vial released one last huff of smoke and exploded with a great sound that shook the God’s shield, covering the whole room with smoke. As the fume slowly slipped through the open windows, this kind of accident happened almost every two days so the God now just left them open, revealing that the room, now, was completely purple. Anthony poked his head from behind Loki, letting out a little whistle at the sight, Banner simply walked back to the table just giving the God enough notice to drop his shield so the doctor wouldn't walk into it. Banner took the piece of paper where Loki had written down the potion’s recipe and crumpled it into a ball throwing it at the far corner on the pile of paper balls which had made their home there since the beginning of the experimentation.

"Hey I liked this one!"

"Tony you like every experiment that explodes, but that's not what we’re looking for."

"So not true I also like the one that transformed that guard into a pink rabbit and the one that made that other guard laugh for two days, they were fun."

Anthony pulled his goggles so they were resting on the top of his head and Loki tucked him under him, the God’s long arms circling his husband’s shoulder and his chin resting on top of the scientist’s head as the two small men argued about which potion had the best after effect. Thinking back the God was pretty sure the All Father would soon come knocking at his door, as the trickster used the guards roaming the corridor to test the potion and spells that didn't explode, not really wanting to test them on his better half without knowing how they would react.

As if on cue a knocking sound resounded through the room, the two scientists went silent looking at the trickster with raised eyebrows. With a snap of his fingers, Loki put the room as it was and detangled himself from Anthony, walking to the door with a sigh, wondering if it was the bunny or the laughing man that had finally caught the All Father’s attention. The trickster opened the door, a little surprised to find his mother standing on the other side, she simply nodded her head and started walking away down the corridor not waiting for him to follow.

"That's what I call class." Loki looked down to see his husband leaning in the door frame with a little smile as he watch the Goddess walk away. "Go, I'll see you later babe. Brucey what's next on our Asgardian magician list?"

Loki gave the doctor a little look making sure he wouldn't allow Anthony to try anything too dangerous in his absence and after one last kiss to his smiling husband, walked after his mother just as she was turning down the hall. Freya simply smiled at him taking his arm as the trickster put his cape and helmet back on preparing for a war. His mother lead him to the last corridor, the one that hosted the royal chambers, the one place Loki had not been back since that fateful day when his whole life had changed and his feelings for the man who had raised him had disappeared to be replaced by hate and betrayal. The golden guards guarding the doors pushed the doubles doors open and closed them behind them leaving them in the heavy silence filling the room. Odin was sitting at the small table next to the window overlooking Asgard, but what stopped Loki in his tracks was the golden apple sitting in front of him. The God of Lies looked to his mother frowning, but her beautiful face didn't reveal anything as she looked to her husband, but stayed next to her son. Odin finally turned to him studying the trickster, Loki kept his face as blank as his mother, he had learned from the best after all.

"How long did you think you could hide the fact that you married a mortal and then had the audacity to bring him to Asgard knowing he would be put to death if anyone found out?"

"As long as it would take, I think I have proven many times that I can do whatever I please in your kingdom without you knowing anything about it until it’s too late."

"... That is unfortunate fact indeed. What’s stopping me from killing your... husband if we must call him that."

"Yes you must. His champion."

"I beg your pardon?"

"His champion is what's stopping you, he would end your precious Asgard if anything happened to my husband and I would, of course, help him. The prophecy of my birth did say I would bring down Ragnarok on Asgard, I just didn't know you would be the cause."

Odin stayed silent looking at the trickster’s cold face and pushed the golden apple toward him.

"At least make him immortal."

Just as Loki was about to move forward, Freya’s hold on him grew stronger leaving him no choice but to stay where he was. Looking into his mother eyes, Loki was pulled back to all those times his mother had told him to look behind every gift, because every gift came with a price. With a little nod to his mother, Loki walked forward as she release him, but instead of taking the apple, the God of Lies took a seat in front of the king enjoying his look of surprise.

"What do you ask in exchange for this apple?"

"Nothing, this one is gift."

"This one, so when my husband starts aging again, when the need for a second or third apple comes they won't be a gift anymore?"

"When the time comes I may need your skills and magic, a favor for the life of your loved one doesn't seem like such a heavy price."

"I cannot know in advance what price you'll judge to not be too heavy as when the time comes I'll be desperate for the help and won't be in a position to refuse any request. Something I am wary of."

Freya was now standing behind her husband a proud smile on her face as she looked at her son, her hand resting on her husband’s shoulder she gave a little nod of approval to her son. Odin was looking at Loki clearly shocked at the younger God’s restrained and cold mind, something the trickster had not used against the king since his fall, but had been quite common as he’d grownup surrounded by devious Asgardians all with their own agenda. Loki really pitied the future of his brother, as the Thunder God was not ready to deal with all the politics and shadow dance of the court.

"So you refuse my help in your quest?"

"Today I must yes, I believe I'll find the answer I seek by my own means. I want to be free of shackles and do not need you putting a new pair of them on my husband’s life."

With a little bow, more to his mother than to Odin, Loki left the room pushing the doors open himself and walked back toward his chambers wanting to see his husband more than anything else. He was stopped by a soft hand on his arms and turned to find his mother holding up the golden apple with her other hand. With a frown Loki studied his mother still not taking the fruit of immortality.

"Take it."

"Mother?"

"This one is a gift, if you seek a second one it will hold a price and believe me that price you would not be willing to pay. But if you need time, if you need a miracle at the very least take this one and take the time it'll give you."

Finally taking the apple Loki placed it in a small satchel attached to his belt and leaned down pressing a kiss to his mother’s head with a small smile of gratitude. Freya placed her hand on his cheek looking into his eyes with the same love the trickster used to see as a child and turned back to her chambers. Loki watched her go, his hands touching the apple though the fabric, he would keep it hidden until all hope was lost or in case of emergency, but his resolve to find a more permanent solution did not waver.

As he was almost at his chambers, the doors to his rooms were torn opened by a ball of green flames and a loud explosion. Shaking himself out of his startled state, he ran to the door to see his study intact and a small rat looking creature still spitting green balls of flames. Trapping the rodent under a powerful shield he looked wildly around and finally saw Banner and Anthony’s heads coming out from behind a turned table, their hair sticking up in the air and their faces covered in dust. His better half pulled up his goggles revealing his perfect white skin around his eyes, the only white part of his face apart from his gigantic grin.

"Can I keep him?"

++(LO_TO)++

Tony was walking down the corridor leading to his hubby’s chamber with a skip in his step. Hogun was still very careful of him, so much so that the genius was pretty sure the God knew of his mortal statue, but still treated him with all the respect one would except from his teacher. Their relationship had blossomed from simple teacher-student to friendship, sure most people didn't understand it as the God was really not a talker, Tony had only heard his voice once, but the mongul had such an expressive body language it was like he was shouting at Tony everything that went through his head without any filter, it was glorious. So Tony had been more than pleased when about a week or so since they had started to train together Hogun had allowed Tony to keep wearing his sword and had even given him two of his own with a matching red belt. The genius hadn't asked where the God had found a red belt when he himself only wore black, brown and on rare occasion blue, the little flush and averted eye had been all he needed to know. The two swords were truly a piece of art and Tony could see all the care and love Hogun had placed in them, especially after the day spent only learning about the care of said swords. The longer one was on his right hip easier to access for his stronger hand and the shorter one on his left just in case, more of a security measure as the mortal was not yet very good at double sword fighting. Two days earlier Hogun had added a small dagger hidden behind his back and hidden under his long coat saying something about as an option in a moment of crisis. Tony couldn't wait to go back to earth and see if he could add a sword to one of his suits, not really wanting to just put them away just because he was Iron Man. All the Avengers, except for Bruce, had tried one way or another to push him to learn more self-defense, but it had taken him going to another dimension to finally find something that suited his interest.

So it was with a huge grin on his face that Tony was skipping down the deserted corridor when a hand placed itself on his shoulder. It wasn't a strong possessive grip, so not Bruce, it wasn't a clingy possessive soft grip, so not Loki and it certainly wasn't hard and bone crushing, so not Thor, at this point his only choice of action was to spin away from the grip, not liking to be touched by someone he didn't care about and looking to find out this stranger

"Fandral?" The blond God smirked down at him slowly moving himself into Tony’s personal space making the smaller man back up until his back hit the wall behind him. Cutting any possibility of exit, Fandral placed his arms on either side of Tony’s shoulder officially caging him. Since Tony had no intention of touching the God, his hand did find a reassuring grip on the hilt of his sword, ready to use it. Fandral looked down spotting his hands at the ready already pulling the sword out a little and simply smirked leaning a little farther until his breath brushed against Tony's face.

"Hello little one, I was looking for you."

"And now you've found me, lucky you, what do you want?"

"I hope to be lucky yes."

"... Ok listen you pompous frilly blond I know you know who my husband is, but let’s try this again. Loki is the only one who gets to have this magnificent body, so back the fuck up."

"I do like them feisty, come now he doesn't need to know and I had my eyes on you for a while now. I was hoping to catch you alone and here is the day."

"No, never is the day! Get off me now!" Tony was getting truly furious now his sword coming out a little more as Fandral only snorted trying to get access to Tony’s neck, which was just never going to happen. When he felt the blond man’s nose touch the side of his neck something snapped and Tony brought the sword up in one quick move smashing the heavy hilt in Fandral’s face forcing him to take several steps back. Tony was holding his sword in front of him ready to strike again in a much more deadly way if must be, while Fandral sputtered touching his nose, which did look a little crooked.

"How dare you... My precious face!"

"I don't know, I think it’s an improvement." Fandral looked murderous, he moved to take a stepped forward but Tony was ready his time and moved his arms ready to strike stopping the God in his tracks. "You did say you like them feisty, come and see how feisty I can be."

Moving toward a scowling Fandral, Tony was ready to just turn around and walk away when he felt the familiar feeling of cold metal against his throat. "Put your sword away little one or I'll cut that venom filled tongue of yours."

Moving slowly Tony sheathed his sword recognizing the voice belonging to the hand holding the sword. He waited until his sword was placed away and his hands up in the air before talking again. "Well hello there, Lady Sif the terribly jealous!"

Without a word Sif grabbed his raised hands and tied them in his back with rope and before Tony could say anything Fandral had moved forward shoving a piece of cloak in his mouth and tying it in place with rope that cut through the genius’ lips making him taste blood. He was forcefully turned around and shoved against Fandral, so he was now fully looking at a very furious looking Sif.

"You really should have just gone along with our first plan Mister Stark and acted out on your legendary sluttiness. Then you would have encountered the fury of your precious husband, but at least you might have survived, now however I doubt you ever will."

Tony simply glared at her wanting to kick all of their stupid faces, all those people holding a grudge against the man he loved were truly making him furious, but what really made him want to just kill them all was that they had finally figured out what the God of Lies greatest weakness was, Tony. Fandral threw him over his shoulder officially blocking his view as his coat fell over his head, all he could see was the floor which soon changed from the familiar white marble, to a dark stone and stairs. He could also hear Sif and Fandral arguing, congratulating themselves on a job well done and generally laughing at how easy it would be to destroy Loki, once his precious husband was dead. The last part just couldn't happen, Tony would survive just to make sure Loki would never be destroyed by these people, he just couldn't. But a small part of him knew that without him by his side Loki would slowly slip back into madness, it was something that they had talked about when Tony had almost died and he dreaded what would happen to his lover in a place full of god's who wanted him dead. All those feeling rushed through him, feeling hopeless Tony wrung his hands so his wedding band was under his finger, touching the familiar cold metal, it calmed him enough to enable him to think a little more clearly. He couldn't just let them do whatever they wanted without at least trying to fight back, feeling the familiar feeling of his ear bud he smirked around the gag. He always placed it there out of habit, but hadn't really needed Jarvis at all during the whole trip, if he could only convince them to take away the gag, he could activate Jarvis and at the very least alert Loki of the situation.

He was placed back on the ground with a little too much force making him stumble forward, his coat was pulled away from his face and he looked around in confusion. He was in a room large enough to hold at least two S.H.I.E.L.D. air carriers filled with all kind of eclectic objects all floating over small pools of ice blue water. Looking over his shoulder at Fandral he saw that he was standing next to one of those pools and that the object floating over it was a full size mirror. The mirror was taller than Tony, surrounded by golden carving representing all kinds of animals he couldn't recognize and scenes from what looked to be very different times and places. Looking back at Sif with a raised eyebrow, she had a gleeful expression on her face, he mumbled something against the gag making sure she couldn't make out any words. As he had hoped she yanked down the gag ripping away a little bit of skin in the process, his little cry of hurt was only meet with a smile from Fandral and a snort from the Lady.

"First OW! Second, what you want me to stare at myself until I die of boredom? Because I can do that just by staring at you, it would actually faster, because I mean you know I'm fabulous." She slapped him so hard his head felt like it was going to get away from his body and before he could fall into the pool under the mirror Fandral caught him pulling him back but not before Tony could see the water reach for him.

"Little fool, it would so much simpler to just kill you, but killing you on Asgardian soil when you are under the All Father’s protection would be the death of us, so I'll just make you disappear from existence. No blood on our swords, no proof as no one will ever know what happened and..."

"Strawberry, coconut, Alpha remoro, Loki0006743!"

"Very well Sir message sent!" The two Asgardians were just staring at him, as Tony simply had a huge grin of his face, the grin stayed there as Fandral yanked the earbud from his ear after hearing the AI voice and crushed it to the ground. Sif grabbed the front of his coat yanking him forward, her eyes ablaze with fury.

"What did you just DO!"

"Called the cavalry." Sif looked like she was about to explode, her face turning red in her fury and she lifted him from his feet with one hand.

"You will die, die all alone and you'll never see the person you hold dear ever again. And really my only regret is that I will not have the pleasure of seeing it." As the sound of an alarm started to resound through Asgard Sif threw him across the pool and toward the mirror. Tony braced himself thinking he would crash through the glass, but the moment his body made contact with the surface he passed right through and then there was only darkness and silence.

++(LO_TO)++

Loki was in his chamber putting away some more useless books and absentmindedly listening to Banner mumbling about this spell being too dangerous or this spell just sounding really stupid, making the God smirk. The trickster had just turned around to grab more books when the far corner of his room started to ting with a strident alarm, both men moved to it finding Anthony's boots and gloves neatly placed in the corner blinking and ringing. Frowning to see them there the God remembered that Anthony preferred to train without them and had left this morning with a pair of red leather boots and black leather gloves to help with his grip. The suit glove jumped to life on its own and made its way to the God, who was surprised at first but then leaned down to catch it. The glove quickly fixed itself to his hand and after some blinking the center started to glow. Loki quickly pulled his hand away from his face not really wanting to receive a blast, but to his surprise it was a hologram that appeared, the hologram was of a small bust representing a suit wearing, blond man and when he opened his frosty blue eyes, they locked with Loki and the voice that followed was all too familiar.

"Signature recognized, Loki Stark Laufeyson, authorization level: all access."

"Jarvis?" Banner had approached and was leaning on Loki to have a better look at the hologram with a frown, so the good doctor hadn't seen this either, that only worried the God more.

"Signature recognized, Bruce Banner, authorization level: all access. Message allowed to be played."

Both men looked at each other with a frown as the hologram disappeared and was replaced by a small Anthony looking around with a grin, until he seemed to calm himself and then turned to stare in front of him.

"I really wanted to do that whole ‘Obiwan I need your help’ part and I did it! Just on another message I left for you two. So this one is..." The small Anthony looked at something over his shoulder and then his face turned grim. "Ah yes that one, okay then. Loki my love, if I activate this particular message I have been kidnapped while were still in Asgard, this message in particular is if I’m kidnapped by Asgardians and... yeah I'm sorry sweetie."

Loki fell his blood run cold in his veins as with his last clear thought he sent one last push of his magic activating the alarms all over Asgard before his mind was completely blank. He was aware of Banner talking, questioning the hologram in his hand as it was replaced by Jarvis once again, but all he could hear was the distant ringing of the alarm. He received a blow to the head and turned surprise to come face to face with glowing green eyes and a truly furious Banner.

"Leave the panic attack for after we get our man back!"

With a nod the trickster pulled himself together and followed the doctor as he started running down the corridor following the mass of guards all running toward the same place and choosing to follow them. Loki was just behind them when he was rocked by a feeling of sickness. He fell to the ground, his insides feeling like they were trying to find ways to crawl out of him, his head feeling like his brain was turning into a block of ice, his skin was going cold and he could see from his blurred vision that his skin was turning blue but he just didn't care, nothing mattered, his soul was being ripped away from him and then there was only silence. The voices in his head were just silent, like they were waiting to strike at a moment when he wouldn't expect it, but the part of himself that belonged to Anthony, the part of him that was filled with his mate was just empty. He felt two hands on his face and was once again face to face with Banner, but now there was worry in his eyes as he searched the God of Lies’ eyes.

"... Loki?''

"... He's... he's not... there... I can't feel him.... he's... they... death..."

Banner look so lost, so hurt as they both simply stared at each other, both completely lost. The doctor found his footing before Loki could and lifted the God to his feet placing his arm around his small but strong shoulder and they started their progress toward the location the AI had given them once more. Slowly taking strength from each other, they made their way down the stairs and into a room full of artefacts and guards. Everyone took several step back as Loki straightened himself to his full height keeping a careful hand on Banner’s shoulder, not caring about his blue skin, his ruby eyes, Anthony had said he was gorgeous and perfect and he wouldn't hide his true self from those miserable people anymore. As the final guard pushed away from them, they were faced with a very surprising scene. Sif and Fandral were kneeling on the floor heads down next to them stood Odin, Thor, and Freya looking at Loki with wide eyes. But all the God’s attention was on what was standing behind them, the mirror of universe. Dread pulsed down his veins, dread but also hope, a small sliver of hope that maybe just maybe he might still have not lost part of his soul.

"Loki, cover yourself!" Of course in the middle of it all, all the All Father would care about was that Loki was wearing his Jotun skin, even Freya finally broke from her perfect blank face to frown at her husband. Thor was just looking from his father to his brother and finally his eyes fell to the two people he had called friends and he moved to stand on the other side of his brother with a little nod. Sif and Fandral had lifted their heads, first their faces had worn a look of pride, but as their eyes settled on the God of Lies their faces froze in shook.

"Do shut up Odin." Odin sputtered, his face turning red, but all of Loki's attention was on the two kneeling gods still looking at him with disbelief. "What have you done you little fools?"

Sif was the first one to regain her composure, sneering in his face, she simply smiled softly her lips pulling back to reveal a little bit of teeth, if she thought she was looking threatening Loki would have to show her that she had just angered the most dangerous God in all of Asgard.

"I knew you were nothing but scum; I didn't know you also were Jotun scum!"

Thor stiffened at his side, but otherwise didn't move, staying where he was showing his support in a way that surprised Loki since Odin was still as far as he could get from his adopted son. Leaning down Loki grabbed Sif’s chin letting his Jotun frost slip through the touch in a way he hadn't allowed it when he had been touching Anthony, slowly making her skin turned blue.

"I said what have you done you little slut?"

Her skin was slowly turning more and more blue, going down instead of up so she could still feel her skin freezing into ice, but still could talk. He eyes were wide as she was faced with his blazing red eyes searching her soul.

"What are you doing?! Stop! Stop this! Thor!"

Loki did look over his shoulder at her pleading for his brother’s help, but for the first time since Loki knew his brother his entire face was a canvas of such cold rage, even Loki felt like taking a step back. None of the guards dared pass the barrier the furious prince was making with his imposing stature between them and the Jotun God.

"Thor please he is only Jotun scum! I am your companion in arms! I deserve...."

"You deserve nothing but what your action brings to you! You have tainted the floor of my city with your very presence the moment you moved to cause harm to my brother’s consort, who is MY companion in arm and a DEAR friend. You are nothing!"

If Loki hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have never believed his brother so eloquent, but as he turned back to his prey he could see the effect those words had had on the fierce warrior. Sif looked like she had been stabbed in the heart multiple times, as her eyes kept on pleading the Thunder God only to be met with fury and indifference. Looking to Odin over the kneeling woman’s head, all he saw was the proud look the father was giving to his golden child, but for once Loki didn't feel jealousy, as he felt the same proud for his brother newly found backbone.

"I'll ask you only once more, then I'll end your miserable life and move to your cowardly companion. What have done?"

"... We... I send him through the mirror."

"Did you kill him first?"

"........ no."

"Why?" He really didn't need to ask why, he knew it was his fault, that Anthony was gone because of the hatred all Asgardians harbor against him, but he needed to hear it.

"To make you suffer!"

With a sigh Loki released her, pushing her sideway to the ground, before turning to his brother, ignoring Odin, believing his justice was with his brother.

"What punishment do you see fit my king?"

He heard all the gasps around him, but didn't care, he had just publically placed himself under the service of his brother, giving freely what he had denied his adoptive father all those years. Thor seemed taken aback but to his credit didn't look once toward the All Father, his eyes staying firmly on the trickster as he placed his hand on his shoulder squeezing reassuringly.

"Whatever punishment that was once yours is now theirs."

Loki's eyes widened a little at this but he bowed deeply to his brother, feeling such a cold feeling of relief and dark joy he had to hide his smirk as he leaned back up.

"You are too generous my king."

As a yelling Sif and a crying Fandral were taken away from the room by all the guards, as she was putting on quite a fight. Loki finally let his glamour fall back into place returning his skin to creamy white and his eyes to emerald green. Turning, he reached over before Banner could touch the water of the pool under the mirror pulling the smaller man to him.

"Don't! Banner this is not water, it is a living sentient being that will attack any living being and drown them if they dare approach."

"...... What's in the water then?"

Odin finally seemed to find his voice as he approached them still staying a couple of steps away from the trickster and keeping a wary eye on his other son. Thor kept his place at his brother’s side making it finally clear to everyone whose side he was on.

"It is a dangerous artefact that I acquired during my years of wars, the mirror of universe. It gives access to alternate realities, anyone who steps through it will find himself in a parallel universe where anything is possible."

"So, we step through it find Tony and come back. Why are we even discussing this?"

"Because little fool, there are thousands and thousands of universes through this mirror, there is no way of knowing which one your friend was sent to. If you were to pass through you would most probably find yourself in a different dimension and not knowing how to travel from one dimension to another, you would be stuck there. It is a maze, you would only get lost."

Banner was listening but all his attention, just like Loki, was on the mirror, frowning the God remembered all the stories about strong warriors who had been sent through the mirror only to never come back and those who had had been ridden by insanity and broken. He couldn't just abandon his mate to this fate, he had to find a way, anyway.

"There must be someone who might help us travel through this maze."

"No one has ever...."

"Yes, there is one."

Everyone turned to the silent goddess, as Freya simply tilted her head to the side a charming smile playing on her face.

"The oracle, the very person your father took the mirror from."

Odin turned so white he could have been one of those white marble statues adorning his throne room.

"You must be out of your mind wife, the Oracle is a beast, it will never give us a hand in this, its’ price will be their lives!"

Freya frowned her husband down passing him with a little pat of his head like a dog that had misbehaved and walked to her son searching his eyes.

"A price I fear my son would be willing to pay for the return of his soul."

Loki simply nodded, leaning in the hand his mother placed on his face as a sad smile played on her face. As she stepped away Loki reached out grabbing Banner’s hand and with one final look to his mother and brother he teleported himself and the doctor to their probable doom.


	5. Off to see the oracle

Once the smoke cleared, revealing the familiar cave that the Oracle lived in, the trickster wasn't really surprised to see a small child; too young to tell if it was a girl or a boy, but old enough to stand in front of them, a tiny crooked smile on its face with its long blond hair and golden eyes studying them.

 

"The one who will bring Ragnarok and the god killer, as I live and breathe, I never thought I'd see you here this soon." The Oracle glanced between them, at something that wasn’t there, with a little frown on its face, and said in confusion. "If you are both here, then where is the king of Asgard?"

"Thor is back..."

"Oh no not the king’s guard dog! The great ruler, Anthony of Stark!"

Loki and Banner looked at each other with raised eyebrows, their eyes wide at the unexpected information. The Oracle caught their look and its frown turned into a look of mischief as it skipped back to its throne and jumped on it, leaning forward as it continued to study them.

"Ah I see this time has not come yet. What time is it now?"

"We come regarding the mirror of universe, it....." Began saying Loki.

"Oh dear me, this is the beginning of the beginning, the boring part!.... Or is it? Who dare pass through my precious mirror?"

".... Anthony." Loki answered sadly.

"Hmm this saddens me, but it does change a page of your future, little one."  
"How so?"

"Ah ah all you should care about is your soul young one, not your future."

Loki just stared at the creature in front of him as it changed into an elegant brown haired woman, her shapeless robe turning into a simple but elegant dress, as the child’s voice she had been using turned purring and charming.

"There is a price to everything and for both of your requests there will be a price."

"We only came with one."

"No you came with two, you are asking to travel through my mirror and you are asking for what you have been looking for all this time, your soul’s immortality."

Banner stiffened at his side, his eyes stayed their pleasant brown but Loki could almost feel the other man’s rage rolling off of him as his eyes never left the Oracle, even as she moved from her throne to stand in front of a small wooden hotel motioning for them to follow.  
"The price for his immortality will be the content of your satchel, trickster, it is the easiest to pay."

Reaching to his side, Loki’s hand found the satchel containing the golden apple his mother had convinced him to take and, without a pause, he threw it her way. The Oracle caught it easily smiling softly as she revealed the apple and caressed it to her, eyes going a little unfocused before the golden item disappeared and she turned back to them.

"For your price, I give you this."

She placed a hand over her face, covering her eyes. When she removed her hand, one eye was in it and she held that hand out to Loki and Bruce. She then led them over to a cup that appeared on top of the hotel, placing the eye inside. Loki stepped forward, holding out his own hand. He wasn't surprised when she slashed his palm open, letting his blood fill the cup; he was surprised however when she let his hand go to hold hers out to Banner next. The doctor studied her face and hand before stepping forward letting her do the same to his own appendage. Once the cup was filled with their mixed blood, the Oracle leant down murmuring words in a language Loki didn't recognize and turned the cup upside down without spilling a drop. A soft light escaped from under the rim of the cup and when she lifted it, it was to reveal a clear, small, glass sphere. She picked it up with reverence and placed it in the trickster’s hand, folding his fingers over it and placing Banner’s hand on top of it.  
The little sphere felt cold under Loki’s hand. When he looked back, the Oracle had once again two eyes and Banner was frowning, speaking before Loki could.

"What does it do?"

"As you travel from dimension to dimension, it will change color, changing as time passes faster through your travel until its final stage where it will returned to its original red color."

"Doesn't tell me what it does now, does it?" Bruce questioned, frowning.

"Such impatience God killer! It collects all of your strengths and none of your weaknesses; it will be filled with the immortality of a God; the immunity of your condition; the longevity of both your lives. As long as one of you live, then so will he."

"What do we do with it once we find him?"

"He has to swallow it of course!"

"... Of course." They said simultaneously.

Banner had a weird look on his face, but there was hope there too as he took the small sphere from Loki, holding it with great care.

"As for your second request! The price will not be yours to pay."

Loki turned his attention back to the Oracle, frowning.

"If we cannot pay, then how will you help us?"

"The price will be paid when I see fit by the future King of Asgard, Anthony of Stark, a favor that he will have to pay when I see fit to ask for it."

Loki studied the old creature, searching her face. Banner was at his side but he didn't say a word, letting the God make the decision on this part of the bargain.

"Will this favor put his life or the life of the ones he holds dear in danger?"

"What if it does?" She asked Loki, a half smile on her mouth.

"Then I'll have to decline this part of our deal."

"Very well, your precious soul will not be harmed by my request."

"Or the ones he holds dear."

The smile that crossed the Oracle’s face was nothing even remotely human as she was suddenly in his face, her eyes growing too big for her face as she leaned down whispering to his ear: "Or the ones he holds dear, as there will be so very few of them left by the day of my asking."

And then she went back to her throne, motioning them forward like nothing had happen. Banner cast a worried look to Loki, but followed him back to the throne.

"Is my price accepted?"

"... Yes it is." It was reluctantly agreed.

"Very well, do you hold a personal item of the man you are seeking?"

With a frown Loki tried to think of something, but Banner was faster than him, grabbing the trickster’s hand that was still wearing Anthony's suit glove and hold it out to the Oracle. The old being walked forward, carefully touching the gold and red glove with a look of wonder. Slowly turning it over, she reached over and drew a symbol that looked like an arrow on the back of the glove, murmuring too softly for the God or the doctor to hear what she was saying, but the symbol glowed softly before just staying black on red, a lonely arrow with four symbols around it.

"It will guide you toward the right path and open doors for you when you are ready to move forward."

"Can’t it just bring us to the right dimension on the first try?"

"The mirror is a being of its own, without this you would be lost in its maze, but with this it will show you the way to go guiding you through the darkness."

As Loki looked up to ask more questions he was meet with emptiness, everything from the throne to the wooden hotel were all gone. Banner looked around confused, and looked to Loki still holding the small sphere in his hand.

"Let's go get back our man."

++(LO_TO)++

As they got back to Asgard, Banner disappeared, claiming he was going to get ready for their travel leaving Loki alone in his chamber sitting on his bed, the bed that only this morning he had been sharing with his lover. He still remembered Anthony waking up; kissing him softly; telling him how much he loved him, before skipping down the corridor happy to go to his training. Letting his head fall forward and his hand go through his hair, the trickster didn't know how he would hold on to his sanity if they didn't find his mate soon. He could already feel the voice knocking on the door of his sanity, wanting to invade his brain. He needed the balance Anthony offered more than he liked to admit and now that it was gone he knew just how empty his life had been without the loud genius at his side.

"Signature recognized, Master Laufeyson only presence detected, message approved."

Lifting his head just in time to see the soft glow at the center of the glove glow again, Loki was once again faced with a small, transparent Anthony standing in the palm of his hand looking very, very uncomfortable.

"Damn I really wish I didn't have to do this one... Hey baby, Loki I need you to listen to me here. If this is playing, if you’re listening to this it’s because Jarvis was advised that I'll be away from you for a while and that means I know how bad you must feel right now. But I need you to look for me, just as I am looking for you, because I never want you to think that I'm not. I love you Loki Stark, I married you because of that love and yeah at the time I'm pretty sure it seemed like a necessity of our situation but I’ve never wanted to marry a person more than I did you and that's all that matters. Whatever happens to me, I need you to be strong for me, but also for Brucey, he won't say it but he's absolutely frightened by the idea of simply losing control and slipping into insanity... remind you of someone?

“Loki... I'm going to go through my feelings a little here... I'm probably the most difficult person on this earth to love, I mean on a long term kind of way here and I am really grateful that your dummy of a brother made that mistake with his stupid idea of a love potion because it brought you to me and you are the greatest thing in my life. I could tell you how much I love you a thousand times and it wouldn't be enough... so, and understand that's big coming from a man who is afraid he's gonna screw up everything if he does, but I really want to have a family with you... so come and get me so we can get on with that!

“I love you baby!"

Anthony’s grinning face disappeared and the glove stopped glowing. A soft smile played on the trickster’s face as a sense of wonder filled him. Placing the glove-covered hand over his heart, Loki stood up, resolved to find his mate, his lover, his soul and that he wouldn’t stop until he had this amazing man back in his arms.

++(LO_TO)++

Banner was once again wearing his Asgardian armour, choosing the comfort and security of the garment over simple clothes, he was draped in the coat Anthony had placed upon his shoulder, taking comfort in this small piece of his friend as he stood next to Loki, looking into the mirror with confidence. The trickster stood at his side, his gloved hand glowing softly, pointing toward the mirror already seeking its owner. Loki was also dressed in his Asgardian armour, but without the helmet, his spear in hand, he had filled the weapon with as many spells as he could think of, ready for any kind of situation that could arise on their travel. They both heard the sound of steps behind them and turned to find Hogun, in full armour with his two favorite swords at his hips and his bow and arrows tied to his back. The God bowed to Loki, one hand pressed to his heart, his face grim as he looked to the mirror.

"Hogun?" The silent man locked eyes with the God of Lies, his mouth taking an unpleasant twist, before he finally seemed to decide that talking was his only option here and opened his mouth, letting out the longest speech Loki had ever heard the warrior speak.

"Sir Anthony was under my protection, he was my responsibility and I let you down by letting him be taken by Sif and Fandral. It is my duty and my debt of honor to accompany you on your journey and pay for my mistake. I give my life and sword to your service until our quest brings us to your consort and… to my friend."

Hogun bowed again, more deeply this time, the way he would normally bow to Odin, and locked eyes with the trickster, his face completely serious. Loki knew the silent warrior would not back away or accept being left behind. He had been in charge of Anthony’s protection while Loki was away from him and had failed the man he now considers his friend and pupil. Leaving Hogun behind would be a great blow to his pride and although Loki did not blame him for the accident he knew Hogun blamed himself. He spared a look to Banner to see what he thought of bringing the warrior along but was meet with indifference, as the good doctor only cared about getting Anthony back and clearly did not cared what happen to Hogun. So walking forward, Loki clapped the warrior on the arm, silently thanking him for his service and friendship and turned his attention back to the mirror, knowing the silent God would follow him until their quest came to its conclusion.

Holding his hand out to Banner Loki waited until the small doctor’s fingers were intertwined with his, and Hogun’s hand was resting on his shoulder, before calling the mirror to them and stepping through its reflective surface letting the darkness surround them. Asgard was nothing more than a light to their backs now.

++(LO_TO)++

Seeing all of those alternative universes was a completely amazing experience for the trickster: seeing all those possibilities, seeing how a simple decision could affect all of their lives, seeing all those different version of himself, but mostly of Anthony. At first every time he had seen an alternate Anthony his heart had cried, the desire to just reach out and take him in his arms, pulling him toward a being his whole body knew wasn't his soul, but was so very, very similar he had to shake himself mentally to remind himself of that. As time and universes passed by he soon realised how unique his Anthony was and how pale and bland the others seemed compared to his better half. He had soon pulled a spell out of his spear to keep the three of them invisible at all times since their appearance caused unnecessary mayhem and confusion every time they stepped out of the breach the glove opened, until the period of time needed had passed before Loki could lead them in the right direction.

So Loki simply observed, looking into the life of an Anthony with only one eye, an Anthony who had remained an arms dealer, making him a complete prick and insanely lonely, an Anthony who had married Pepper and lived in a big house in the country with two ginger kids, and an Anthony who own a coffee shop in New York with Pepper and Clint as his Baristas. It was fascinating for the God to see all those possibilities, making him wonder about his alternate lives, wanting to know if in one of them he had succeed in his plan to conquer the world and how that life was. Banner simply observed, sometime taking notes and pictures, probably to show to Anthony later especially the one-eyed one and kept mostly quiet. The dark circle marked his eyes as one who refused to sleep, his body always wired up in anticipation. It worried Loki to see his companion like this, but the trickster couldn't find the words to calm the little doctor considering how his own head was slowly being filled with that terrible voice telling him to leave all hope behind and that he would never see his husband again. Only Hogun, his silent presence, the only fixed point for the two broken men, seemed to always stay composed and alert, looking around at times with raised eyebrows, sometime with a bored look, who seemed to still have hope in their quest, always pushing Loki and Bruce forward.

They had been jumping from universe to universe for what seemed like months, but was probably only days when they appeared in the Avengers Tower. The tower looked exactly like the one they had left behind and for a moment the God though they had come back to their own Midgard, until a young woman, a child really, walked into the living room and slumped herself down on the plush one seater, before lifting up an heavy book before her eyes. She look to be about twelve or thirteen drumming her feet on the seat to a beat only she could hear and reading a big book titled, “The art of war”. She had long curly black hair, pulled over her head in a messy bun, her face was devoid of any trace of make-up and she was wearing an old looking pair of jeans and an oversized button down purple shirt that looked a lot like Banner’s favorite one. Her feet, still banging on the seat, were bare and her toes nail were painted gold and red.

 

Loki looked around trying to figure out what this universe was, as he didn't recognize the young lady and they were clearly in the Avengers Tower. He was about to suggest that the young woman might be a young female version of Anthony when Banner walked into the room. Not his Banner though. This Banner looked a little younger than the one at his side, he also looked more relaxed, at ease with himself and was smiling in a happy way like his life was worth living, something the Banner at his side never did. This Banner walked into the room, fitting himself in the bigger sofa facing the one the young lady was sitting in. He took out his tablet and started writing on it, completely at ease with the other occupant of the room. Loki spared a look to the doctor, but Bruce seemed like he was getting bored of this universe, but just as Loki was getting ready to lift the glove and bring them to another universe, since the glove had started to glow again, another person entered the room and Loki had to stop himself.

The woman was wearing grey sweatpants ridding low on her hips, a black tank top barely covering her curvy figure and was barefoot, wearing the same nail polish as the young one. Her long curly hair had a little trace of white, falling down her back in a fountain of curls, shinning in the light. What stopped Loki were her whiskey brown eyes, that he would recognize anywhere but that the younger lady did not have. This, this was the first female version of Anthony they had come across and Loki was completely frozen at the sight of her, she looked a lot like Anthony and not at all. She was small, curvy, had little trace of oil and grease on her cheeks and looked absolutely stunning in her old looking clothes, like a goddess of Iron. At his side Banner’s attention had been snatch by the sight, he who had always said that if Anthony was female he would have married him a long time ago, was watching his very fantasy move to the other Banner’s side, hands on her hips as she leaned down capturing the other Banner’s attention with a soft kiss.

The other Banner pulled her to him, sitting her on his lap with a soft smile, simply looking at her with so much love the God and the Doctor both felt like they were intruding on this comfortable, domestic scene. That was until the female Anthony turned to the young lady with frowning eyebrows.

"Sweety, why are you reading the art of war? I thought you had a Dumas book to read for your class." With a sigh the teenager looked at the two occupants of the sofa with raised eyebrows and an unimpressed expression.

"I did, but I finished it and now I'm reading this. It's so much more interesting anyway and could you please go make googly eyes at each other in your own room?"

"Oh please, you should feel lucky that your parents still love each other so much after all these years,” the female Anthony snarked, rolling her eyes, “what with the rate of divorce in this city...."

"Yeah, yeah dad is the best thing ever and all that jazz, but come on Mom the world doesn't need more picture of you two sucking each other faces off."

"Pffff that comes with being a Stark babe... and you love the attention, so shush."

 

The teenager rolled her eyes but hid a small smile behind her book as she ignored the female Anthony leaning over the other Banner to steal another kiss. They stayed like this for a little while until something seemed to occur to the older woman and she raised her head, looking around.

"Where's your brother?" As if to answer her question little feet hitting the floor at full speed were heard coming their way and the teenager lifted herself from her seat, quickly catching the whirlwind of brown curly hair and whiskey eyes that came crashing into the room with a giggle, straight into the teenager’s arms. The little one was twirled around in his bigger sister’s arms giggling until she settled him on her hips with a soft smile full of love.

"Where were you, little terror?"

"In my lab! Daddy showed me how to make goowy green sticky stuff!" The female Anthony rolled her eyes, giving a look to the still smiling other Banner.

"You know that's just asking for him to blow this tower up... Serena blowing up your lab wasn’t enough?"

"Hey I was six!" The teenager protested.

"And you blew up half of the lab. I really don't want to relive the experience with Peter."

"He won't. He's way more careful than I ever was. Plus he doesn't like explosions like I did."

The little one, getting bored, started to wiggle in his big sister’s arms and she put him back on the floor letting him jump on his parents, giving them very sonore happy kisses before running back out of the room with a shout of joy. The teenager gave a look to her mother and with a sigh went after her little brother, a soft smile on her look.

"I'll make sure no explosions happen... maybe." The female Anthony rolled her eyes looking down at the other Banner with a fond little smile.

"Who would have thought I would give birth to an evil genius of a daughter and a little charmer of a scientist. I swear one day our daughter will conquer the world just to put her brother on the throne..."

"Dawn well I will!" The teenager shouted back over her shoulder.

"Serena, go watch your brother!" Her daughter only answer was an evil laugh as the teenager finally made her way to her brother. The other Banner simply laughed, completely happy and at ease looking at the female Anthony like she was the most precious thing on earth.

"I don't really care how they turn out as long as they’re happy and know they'll always have our approval."

"Well I hope the third one is a little bit less energetic because Peter just take's all my energy just by smiling."

"Hum hum... wait, what... third one?" The other jumped up making the female Anthony slide off of his lap as he kneeled in front of her his hands reaching toward her belly, but not quite touching it. He looked up in her face, his eyes shining with tears as she simply give him a little nod.

"Jarvis just confirmed it. I'm one month pregnant with our third little terror." Tears shinning in the other Banner’s eyes, he finally dared to touch her belly, placing his hands reverently where there was a new life growing. The female Anthony placed her hands over his looking at the other Banner with so much love Loki had to look away, feeling like an intruder in this moment of love and intimacy, half jealous and yet half happy for his soul’s doppelgänger.

The trickster’s eyes finally fell on his own Banner’s face and he had to look away again at the sight of the longing and pain that played out on his companion’s face. The doctor looked like a man drowning; looking at the scene in front of him with eyes full of unshed tears, his heart in his throat as he watched his counterpart live a life he could never hope to have and the living desire that had always burned in him but had never once had a face. Now after the hope and desire had burned inside of him for so long that they had just become background noise, simple dreams, he had just been offered the picture of the two beings he had never knew he could have but lived in a universe he could never live in. Falling to his knees, the doctor looked on as his counterpart took his wife’s hands in his, pulling her in his arms with an expression he could never have and walked out of the room saying something about announcing the good news to the children.

Loki watched on, as Bruce’s eyes went a little unfocused, following the path of the pictures they had ignored when they had arrived showing a happy Bruce on his wedding day holding a little girl in a white dress and kissing his wife. Another picture showed Bruce at the park running after the same little girl, but older in a pink frilly dress full of dirt, another showed the happy family of three with a pregnant smiling woman, and the two last ones showed the whole family, one on a beach playing in the water and the last one clearly taken without any of them knowing about it, all asleep on the sofa as the little boy smiled and waved at the camera. Banner stood up walking toward the picture, placing the tips of his fingers over the two children as if afraid they would disappear.

The previously unshed tears started rolling down Banner’s face, leaving salty tracks on his cheeks as his fingers played over the pictures, moving from scene to scene until he was standing in front of the last one, the one where everyone was asleep, his counterpart’s head pillowed on his wife’s laps, his little girl sleeping on his belly and the little boy fully awake, leaning on his mother with an happy smile. Loki looked at Hogun, trying to find some help there, but the silent God was looking away leaving the doctor to have his moment in peace and without judgment. Finally Loki walked to the doctor placing his hand on the smaller man’s shoulder, pulling him away from the picture and offered his chest to hide his sadness and collect his tears. Banner clung to him, shoulders shaking. Loki placed his arms around the small frame leaning against him, hiding Bruce’s pain from the world until the doctor’s eyes were empty of tears and his whole body slumped against the God in defeat. Pulling the doctor away from the wall, Loki open a new door to another universe where he finally convinced Banner to sleep, curled up against him. Just before he dooze, in the silence of the night Banner finally spoke for the first time in the hours since he had seen what should have been his life flash before his eyes, out of reach, his head hidden in the God neck as Hogun stood watch on the other side of the room.

"... I'll never have that..."

The silence stretched out as the doctor fell asleep again in the trickster’s arms, his small frame looking fragile for the first time since the trickster had meet the doctor and for once Loki feared what they would face in the days to come, and if he really wanted to know about his possible future.

++(LO_TO)++

The following days were heavy on the God’s conscience as he watch his companion’s hollow eyes, looking at the different versions of himself; but always his eyes seemed to wander around looking for someone else, a younger figure, a smaller being bearing a certain resemblance to himself or Anthony. Banner wasn't taking pictures anymore, wasn't taking notes; he just followed Loki's lead and stayed quiet dragging his pain around and losing himself in what ifs. The trickster was so busy looking after the doctor that Banner noticed the ruin and fire before Loki did. While watching the first expression of surprise appear on Banner’s face in days, Loki looked around and let his own surprise wash over him. Everywhere around them there was fire, ashes and dead bodies, in what seemed to have one day long gone been New York. They were once again standing in what appeared to be the Avengers Tower, now in ruins, standing over a world of destruction and death. Hearing a sound behind them they all turned to see something Loki had wished he would never have to face: himself.

Well, if the pale, skeleton looking being sitting on a throne of bone could be called by his name. This Loki seemed more dead than alive, his dark eyes completely empty of emotion as he watch his world burn, his long, thin fingers curled around what looked like the Tesseract, giving his whole face an unhealthy blue glow. Behind the throne the Trickster could see the Captain’s shield lying in one corner, Clint’s bow lay broken next to it, but what caught his eyes was Anthony’s Iron Man’s face plate held in the skeleton Loki’s hand. Banner moved to his side looking at the pale shadow of the God standing beside him.

"What happen to him?" It was the first time Banner had talked in days and his voice sound a little hoarse, but not wanting the doctor to fall into silence again, Loki look to Hogun for an answer, unable to speak as he walk toward himself letting Hogun voice wash over him.

"This is madness. I have to conclude that in this universe the Avengers have been killed and his highness fell into madness after killing his soul."

"His soul?" Bruce questioned. He had heard the phrase used before, but had never thought to ask, not until seeing this world’s Loki, wasting away in the wake of Anthony’s death.

Loki turned to look at the silent God and the doctor. His eyes were haunted as he looked at the empty shell that could have been his future self and answered for Hogun.

"When I say Anthony is my husband, my mate or my soul, I really do mean it. He is the better part of me, the part that completes me and makes me whole, he keeps the madness at bay and keeps me from becoming... this." He waved a hand at the other Loki in emphasis.

"Wait so when you said you were mad during the attack...."

"Try falling through darkness, endless darkness, never knowing time or space, only living with the voice in your head and then finding yourself at the mercy of beings who control what little mental stability you had succeeded in keeping and then killing the very being who could have given you back your stability only to find that out once his body his lying, cold and still, at your feet." The silence stretched on as Loki looked at the Iron Man face plate in the skeleton’s hand, his dark eyes lost in a madness Loki knew all too well.

Hogun walked to his side, placing a hand on his shoulder in support, squeezing softly as he pulled Loki away from the fixed creature reduced to a simple instrument of destruction. They walked toward Banner who placed his hand in Loki's, squeezing a little as they watched over the destruction facing them.

++(LO_TO)++

All the wonder of seeing new universes had been stripped away from both the Doctor and the God. They now only moved forward with the hope that they would soon find their precious companion. Hogun remained the driven one, who pushed them forward. Hogun was the silent man always there to offer support as they walked from universe to universe not caring anymore, not wanting to see, not ready to open their eyes to possibilities that weren’t acceptable or available to them and only broke their hearts and sanity a little bit more with each step.

Loki now understood why the mirror was such a powerful tool of torture and why the people who came back from it did so completely broken. Every new universe showed them a future they couldn't touch, countless Anthonys that lived different lives but were never theirs. The voice in the trickster’s head asked for surrender, for destruction, and tried to crush his hope, while Banner seemed to have locked himself inside his head a little more and more every day, as he watched everything with hollow eyes.

It didn't get any better when they found themselves in a universe where Banner had killed Anthony in his Hulk form. The great green beast never turned back into Banner ever again, remaining trapped in a world of misery, pain and guilt; they watched on as the great giant wander the streets of New York smashing and destroying the town and its people after he had cradled Anthony’s body and roared for what seemed like hours over the still body of Iron Man.

Banner’s eyes went from hollow to full of nightmares as he watched his worst nightmare play out in front of his eyes not able to do anything to change it. Loki and Hogun pulled him away from the ledge by pushing him through another opening. Banner stopped talking after that, stuck in the silence of his nightmare, living in his head, mixing with his secret hopes and dreams leaving the doctor a shell of himself.

It all seemed to come to an end one day as they were crossing to another universe and instead of taking his hand Banner turned his hollow eyes to Loki and simply stared.

"Enough." Bruce said after a moment, softly breaking the silence.

"Banner?"

"Enough." Before Loki could stop him Banner stepped through the opening without taking his hand. The last sight Loki saw was the doctor’s skin turning green before the opening close behind him, leaving Loki alone with Hogun. The only thing the God could do was reopen the door and follow in the doctor’s footsteps, hoping against all hope that he would land in the same universe as Bruce, the fear of having to face his mate with the knowledge that he had just lost his lover’s friend making his hands shake.

As the door shut behind them, Loki felt himself falling. He crashed against a wall of salt water that engulfed him too fast for him to react. Hogun, faster than he, grabbed the trickster before his armour could drag him to the bottom of the sea and for the first time in a long time, the trickster’s brain seemed to work more clearly. His eyes flashed fully open. He collected his magic and held the spear over his head; he summoned from the deep of the sea a ship that had made its bed at the bottom of the merciless ocean years ago, calling it again to the surface. Under the two God’s feet the old wooden carcass rose, seeing the sun for the first time in years and lifting them out of the water.

Hogun let go of Loki once the ship was fully out of water, floating like it had never sunk in the first place standing in all his glory as the trickster’s magic enveloped it and giving the old ship its life back. The water filled wood turned black, the canon-ball made holes on each side closed like they had never existed and the ship stood once more restored to its former glory, now enveloped in black and green. Hogun walked around the ship trying to see on either side something other than the sea, but all you could see from side to side was the clear blue water of the ocean. Loki looked at the glove on his hand, but no glow light up the arrows on his hand. With a frown Loki looked around.

"Do you see Banner?"

Hogun shook his head sadly as he climb the mats, perching himself next to the dark flag decorated with four snakes, one green, one red, one purple and one gold. Again Hogun shook his head as he look to each side studying the horizon.

Letting his magic slip to the surface of the water, Loki sent it in all directions and placed himself cross legged on the ground, waiting for it to come back to him as soon as it found its prey. It took only a moment before one of his magical threads came back to him, resonating still from the feel of Banner’s signature. With a sigh of relief at knowing that the good doctor wasn't lost, Loki pointed his spear toward the direction his magic pulled him and called frosty winds to push his ship in the right direction. He wouldn't leave until he had found the good doctor, even if he had to explore this whole universe to do so.


	6. Gay pirate

Tony was kind of bored; not that he really had any reason to be but the last year had been quite weird and stressful on him since he had been thrown through the mirror. He still remembers awakening in what looked like a small room covered from top to bottom in wood and rocking softly from side to side. Listening carefully, he had heard the faint but easily recognizable sounds of water outside and the smell he associated with the sea. Finally looking around, he had been surprised to find himself staring at... well, himself. An older, wearier version of himself studying him with dead eyes where he couldn't glimpse any light or life. His older self was dressed in dark clothes and was wearing a truly impressive black pirate hat with one long black feather. Looking down and seeing himself still wearing his Asgardian armour, Tony looked around spotting his swords on a small desk across the room that was screwed to the floor and realised he wasn't wet in anyway, so the probability that he had been fished out of the sea was not a possibility and the older him was probably the only person on board knowing of his presence. Finally meeting his gaze as the older man's sigh, his shoulders slumped a little forward as he passed his hands over his face and his lifeless eyes locked with Tony's.

"What are you exactly?"

".... Hum I'm gonna assume you're me in this... I don't know parallel universe, alternate reality, other world... So this, us meeting... two identical being meeting in a way that shouldn't be possible and then..."

"Shut up."

"But this is fascina-"

"Shut up, just shut up." Tony did looking with raised eyebrows to his older self not knowing why he was looking so weary and well, a little sad. "What your mouth is babbling is that you are another me, yes? And just answer with one word."

The warning for bodily harm was right there and for once, Tony stopped himself from going overboard, not knowing what his counterpart would do to him and not really feeling like he should find out.

"Yes."

"You do look like me... well, a younger me anyway." The older him keep looking at him and Tony had to finally sit down to face his older self, not liking the feeling of being a lab rat about to be put to death. "Very well then."

Standing up, his older self-moved to the desk looking at Tony's sword with a little look of wonder, the first real positive emotion to cross his older counterpart. The older man took the sword and walked back to Tony, giving him his weapon with a look that was almost regretful. Looking into the older man's eyes, he slowly reached out and took the sword strapping them to his side, never taking his eyes away from his counterpart who sat back down in front of him.

"You'll be me then."

"What? But.. what... what do you even mean by tha-"

"One word answer AND question."

"What?"

"It should only take a week or so, a little training for you and then I'll be off and you'll be me, it's that's simple."

"No."

"Beg your pardon?"

"Can. I. Use. More. Than-"

"Yes."

"No, it's not simple. I don't even understand what you're talking about. What do you even mean by me being you?"

"Are you slow in the brain?"

"Right now, yes very!" They glared at each other for a while, each judging the other one and deciding that the other one was probably an idiot. With a sigh, the older Tony slumped back in his chair crossing his arms in front of him.

"This here is my ship Iron Lady." Tony raised his eyebrows at that but kept his curiosity quiet from getting the better of him. "I have been her captain for the last... well, all me life really. I took charge of her and her crew as my father asked of me, following in his footstep and doing as he bid me to. But the land calls to me a little bit more every day that passes. The sea was never my mistress and never shall she claim my life. You'll take my place, you must have been sent to me for that very purpose."

"But I... can't."

"Have you got anywhere to be laddy?"

"... Yes."

"Hum hum do you know where or how to go there then?"

"... No, I'm not even sure... where I am now."

"And here I am offering you a ship to go wherever you wish to, with a crew that will follow you with all their loyalty. So what's your problem in this deal?" Tony looked around, thinking he just couldn't figure out a way to express how wrong and right this all felt. He didn't know where he was, he didn't know anything about the mirror he had been thrown through and he didn't know anything about magic. Then, there was this older version of himself just dumping his life on him to run away from his own life that was dumped on him by his father. So really, he just did not see another option presenting itself to him, so he simply shrugged and nod at the same time, before something else occurred to him.

"What kind of ship is this?" The older Tony was already at the door opening it, on the soft sea breeze a small smile playing on his face, probably the only thing he had in common with his younger counterpart and shook his head like Tony was a fool for only asking now.

"It's a pirate ship mate."

 

The next days were filled with mind numbing information about pirate codes, so many codes. All the codes were interesting if not a little funny, like do not attack other pirate ships; that's just rude, but do attack any naval ship because that's just common sense. Then, there were the useless rules like a woman on a ship is bad luck and the fantastic rules like rum is always your best friend. Tony's older counterpart taught him everything about his precious ship, the Iron Lady. She was a fantastic ship definitely built by a Stark. She had a steam motor, to be used in case of emergencies that could outrun any ship making her one of the most famous pirate ships, just after the Black Pearl. It didn't took long for Tony to completely fall in love with the ship and made it his mission to know her from the inside out. She was a true lady, all her wooden insides were protected by a thin layer of metal, her canons had all been made by hand by his older self, making them extremely deadly and two of them alone could sink any ship. Where the ship was amazing, Tony did not really care for the crew. They were all soulless looking killers that just accepted the fact that their captain had a doppelgänger and simply accepted his presence.

So it wasn't really a surprise to him when his older self finally brought the Iron Lady to a remote hidden pirate port and left the ship placing his captain’s hat on his younger self and just walked away, his shoulder sagging in relief... with most of the crew. Tony watch as his head fell in his hands and looked behind his shoulder through his fingers to see two of the serial killer looking men just staring at him with a blank look clearly waiting for orders or waiting for him to fall asleep to kill him. He simply waved at them, not really expecting anything of them and wasn't completely surprised when they started to move around the deck, simply preparing the ship for the night. Tony stared at them for a little while weighing his options; he had a ship to himself, a very famous ship that would attract a lot of attention, something he would need if Loki was to find him. Staying low and subtle would just not do. He didn't know anything about the mirror but if Loki wasn't here yet it might very well mean that there was more than one universe and that his husband would have a long way to go before they could be reunited. So staying anonymous would not help either of them in any way. Plus, there was the very reassuring fact that magic did exist in some form in this universe, if the tales he had heard of the Black Pearl and her notorious captain were true, so he could maybe try and find some way to go back to his better half by himself. The sound of heavy footsteps brought his attention back to his crew of two, he might know how the Iron Lady worked from top to bottom but he could not sail her with only two crew members. Her precious motor had been built to be used on short period of time, trying to sail her only relying on her steam power would kill the ship and make him vulnerable to other vessels. Letting his fingers drum on his captain’s hat, in a way he had seen his counterpart do many times, he let his mind drift to the problem at hand. He needed a crew he could rely on and that he could trust with his life... on an island full of pirates and killers. His other hand, the one with his wedding ring was covered with a black leather glove, the only concession he had made for his older counterpart since advertising he was married to a man would not be regarded with favors, drummed softly on the hilt of his sword.

"Where would I find a crew?" He was mostly talking to himself, lost in thought and talking out loud helped him focus. So he was a little surprised when the hand of one of his serial killer gorillas appeared in front of his eyes pointing toward a little Inn not too far from them where the soft light of a fire could be seen glowing through the window. Turning back to his gorilla, Tony gave him a little nod and was rewarded with the most terrifying happy grin he had ever seen. "Do you have a name?"

The big man simply shrugged and kept on looking at him with his terrifying smile, Tony couldn't remember seeing the man much on the ship but then again he basically only remember his older self so no surprise there. Studying the big man up and down, Tony gave him one of his signature Stark smiles, which seemed to surprise the gorilla; his older self-had not been one for smiles. "I think I'll just call you Kong."

The gorilla seemed to think about it, his head tilted to the side as he examined his new captain and finally simply nodded before walking away. His other friend just stared at Tony daring him to say anything and Tony made his way down the ship feeling lucky Kong hadn't seemed to mind being renamed and even appeared to kind of like his new captain. One out of two wasn't too bad and as new captain Tony decided that he had made enough decisions for today and made his way toward the Inn, his gloved hand still playing over the hilt of his sword.

The Inn, which was called the Gay Pirate which made Tony think the place had been named just for him, was a charming if not extremely rustic little building. It was packed full with all kinds of different looking individuals, some old, some young and one man was actually blue of skin. He made his way to the bar under the bored eyes of a drunk man and the glint of lust of some woman who were clearly prostitutes. Taking his place on a high stool, he ordered a rum and turned around inspecting the room. It was packed but no one really caught his eye. Sure, there were some woman here and there that had fantastic cleavage but his eyes barely skip over them, the image of Loki filled his mind. He couldn't even form the possibility of never finding himself in the God's arms again, it was not a thought that could enter his mind or he knew he would drown himself in the nearest barrel of rum. He had to focus, he had to set himself some goals, to move forward, letting even a moment of doubt enter his mind would be as bad as betraying the man he loved. He knew himself too well, if his mind even for a second thought he would find himself trapped here forever, it would betray him and let the darkness envelop him. Loki would find him and if he didn't Tony would. Plus, his husband had the advantage of having Bruce with him and the genius knew his best friend would never let his lover abandon him.

He was so lost in his thoughts, he almost missed the entrance of two cloaked figures and the sudden silence that followed their arrival. Looking around, Tony could see the fear and hatred mixed in all the people surrounding him as they followed the progress of the two figures until they sat at the very back of the building, their backs turned away from him. The old white bearded man to his right muttered something about she-devils and Satan, catching Tony's curiosity. Turning towards the older man, Tony ordered more rum and slipped it down the counter toward the old drunk who looked up in surprise and delight.

"I'm sure you won't mind sharing my rum good sir."

"Course not!" The old man, Fritz as he mumbled after drinking a whole bottle without a blink, took the stool next to Tony with a toothless smile. Tony ordered another bottle without missing a beat and pointed toward the cloaked figures with raised eyebrows.

"Who's that then?"

"You've never heard of the Red Sisters? Where you've been mate? Don't know of a soul who ain't heard of the Red Sisters."

"We'll just say I was not in this... sea?"

"Hmmm... well lucky for yourself you asked me, fear if you had went and talk to the Red you would have been dead before sunrise."

"Oh? Do tell?"

"The stories say's that the eldest started sailing before she could walk and killed all the captains that ever had the misfortune of taking her as a mistress. She is the red death of the sea, having her on your ship even for a night is praying for death."

"What about the youngest then?"

"Not much said about her really, she is always there in the shadows of her sister, the only witness to all those men's death; she's the red mist, the silent observer of death."

"Hmmm, what are they doing here then?"

"Pr'bably trying to find a poor soul to take them on their ship."

"If everyone knows they kill the captain, why not just... stop them, imprison them?"

"Bah! If a captain's weak enough to be killed by a woman and fall into their trap, whose gonna complain about his death?" Tony simply hummed, his older self had made it very clear that death and murder weren't a big deal in the life of a pirate; you either died at sea or someone killed you. The genius' attention was brought back to the two figures as one of them removed the hood of their cloaked and he was surprised to recognize the woman attached to the garment; Natasha Romanov. Sliding the bottle from hand to hand just observing and making plans that he almost immediately dropped, Tony finally simply shrugged and made his way to the two ladies taking the seat across from Natasha, his eyes firmly on her, ignoring the second figure. Natasha looked up meeting his eyes and studied him with a look of disgust.

"Captain Stark."

"Not really no, but you can call me Tony." The genius gave her the signature Stark smile, as her Russian face studied him, her eyes searching his and she finally seemed to realised he was not the man she seemed to know.

"No, indeed not really. Who are you then?"

"Well, we had kind of agreed, me and the old captain, that if the question ever arose, the response would be his long lost brother but I prefer the truth in this case. I am another him, I'm not from here and I do not wish to stay here either." The look on the red haired woman was hilarious, since Tony was very used to an expressionless Natasha.

"Why tell me this?"

"Let's just say we've met before and aside from a stabbing incident, I chose a long time ago to trust you in certain things." The woman seemed a little surprised but she was also intelligent enough to read between the lines and followed Tony's train of though. "Also, I need a crew and I hear you need a ship."

"Did you not hear of the Red Sisters?" Tony simply nodded, his eyes finally falling on the other figure but the features of the other woman were cast in the shadows of her hood. When his eyes went back to Natasha, she looked a little murderous. "Then you know we bring death to the captains we sailed with."

"I believe that's mostly because they did something to the both of you and not because you enjoy killing but do correct me if I'm wrong."

"... No, you are not. But that doesn't mean you won't try." The end of the sentence was more a growl then anything as he watched Natasha's hand move under the table. With a sigh, he placed both elbows on the table and pulled his black leather glove of showing them his wedding ring. Natasha stopped moving, eyeing the ring before simply snorting in disbelief.

"Just because you made a vow to some sweet lady somewhere doesn't mean you'll hold that vow once we reach the sea."

"Man."

"... What?"

"I made a vow to a man to stay faithful to him." If seeing the expression of surprise on the Russian spy's lookalike face had been hilarious, seeing her gaping at him was absolutely legendary; he even heard the woman next to her gasp in surprise. Tony replaced the glove after one last longing look to his ring and gazed back at the red haired woman with raised eyebrows.

"You must be a fool, advertising your love for... for..."

"Another man, yes maybe but I refused a long time ago to feel shame for my choice and this one in particular isn't even allowed to cross my mind."

"You could be hanged for this, even on this island and it is filled with men who have done worst then kill another man." Tony simply shrugged again, he already knew all this, his own older self-had thought about killing him after finding out he was married to a man but the desire to be free of his ship had been stronger.

"So are you going to tattle on me and have me hanged or are you going to take my word that I have no interest in you or your sister in that way and only wish to find a crew I can rely on?"

"... She is not my sister." Came a soft voice Tony knew very well, from under the hood, so he wasn't completely surprised when he saw Pepper's face. "Just like you, we prefer the company of our sex and have been hiding under the bond of family to avoid hanging."

Natasha looked around, her face going into her usual mask of death and bored as she made sure no one was paying too much attention to them. Tony could see her hands move under the table as she seemed to trust Pepper to pick up the conversation.

"What's in it for you Captain Stark?"

"Tony please, I have just come in possession of a ship, the Iron Lady." That caught Natasha attention as her eyes widen and the genius could see a certain lust behind her eyes. "Like I said before, I don't wish to stay here but to go back to where I'm from or at the very least give a chance to the man I love to find me, I cannot simply own a pirate ship."

"You need a reputation, something that will travel where you cannot and give away your whereabouts."

"Yes." Tony relaxed a little talking to Pepper, even if she wasn't his, was easy. She had the same sharp mind and understood him just like his would. "I know my ship has a reputation, I know that with her alone I could make some noise, start a good reputation, but with you."

"Yes, having on board the Red Sisters and surviving would make quite some noise. What about the rest of the crew; what if they are not as honorable as you are?" Tony grin the way that had developed in the last day or so, a little dark smile that mirrored his older self, just like the drumming of his fingers on his hat.

"If I am to really make some noise, I would choose one of you as my second in command and let her decide who gets to be on my ship. And really, if that wasn't enough, I would simply let you decide what happens to the man who so chose to act as a dishonorable man toward the two highest ranking officers on my ship."

Now, he had both women looking at him like he was completely out of his mind but really, the moment he had heard of the Red Sisters and then realized one of them was Natasha, his plan had started to form. Finding out that the second one was Pepper only made his plan take root in his head, with Natasha and Pepper as his commanding officers, the whole world would be talking of him, his reputation would be made in one single night. He watched on as the two women looked at each other, lost in some silent conversation and finally simply stood up, bowing to them with a dark little smile.

"I know this is a lot to ask and trust is not earned in one crazy conversation. You will need some time to talk this through in private and I grow bored of this place. If you accept my offer, be at the docks tomorrow morning and we'll discuss a contract that would please the both of you. If I do not see you tomorrow, then I wish you good luck ladies." With one last little bow, Tony walked away and back to his ship where he found Kong standing guard and the other one gone. When he asked about the other one, Kong simply shrugged and mutter something about being bored and a knife. If on his way to his cabin, Tony ignored the specks of dark red liquid on the deck and slept peacefully for the first time since he had appeared in this strange universe.

The next morning, he was awoken by a rough hand on his shoulder and Kong's serial killer smile. When Tony asked him what was happening, the big man simply shrugged and pointed to the door. Picking up his hat and red coat, Tony walked outside to find Natasha, Pepper and a complete crew just looking at him from below the ship waiting for him to react. With a smile, Tony ordered Kong to lower a ramp and invited his new crew aboard, he finally had everything he needed.

++(LO_TO)++

So Tony was bored. It had been a year, a very full and eventful year but still boredom was starting to show its ugly face and he had no idea what to do to fight it. There was no ship on the sea surrounding them to give him a good fight or even a little companionship. He really wished they would cross paths with the Black Pearl soon. He really missed just watching the dance of love and hate that Sparrow and Barbossa had been dancing for years now. Their fight was epic and the subject of many stories. They were more entertaining than any shows Tony had ever watched and he loved both men dearly. Sparrow, more as a drinking buddy and stupid idea enabler but still he was so much fun to hang out with. They had fallen into each other's arms the first time they had met, like some kind of long lost brothers. Barbossa was more of a disapproving father figure to Tony, always there to bail them out or rescue them depending on what they had gotten themselves into but on darker days, Barbossa was a good shoulder to cry on and a dear friend. The last time they had ran into each other, the two of them had been in one of their epic fights, something about the fountain of youth and Sparrow being an imbecile, Tony had declined going with them simply because Natasha had said no. She still remembered the fight with the Goddess of the sea and was not very impressed with the two other captains, neither was she with him but she hidden it better.

So here he was at the front of his ship, lost in thought, as his crew ran and talked around him, leaving their captain in peace. They all knew of his husband and none of them cared. They all had their past and dirty secrets. Even Kong had simply shrugged and went back to cutting a navy man's head off. Tony could not remember why he had told the man in the middle of a battle but it had seemed important at the time. Kong as it turned out was a very loyal man. Terrifying as all hell but nonetheless, very loyal. He cared for his captain's security more than his own and was always at Tony's side never asking questions and simply following orders. The gorilla man was the only member of his crew that never listened to Natasha's orders; always simply shrugging and making his way to Tony, as he was now. The big man was leaning on the ship, his face turned toward the sun with a goofy relaxed, still serial killer looking smile, just close enough that he could reach for his captain but far enough that Tony had the illusion of solitude. As usual when he wanted his attention, Kong tapped on his shoulder with his big sausage fingers and pointed toward the sky with a weird expression on his face that might have been confusion or anything really, his face was just weird.

"Green." The big man voice had been surprisingly soft and almost melodious for his appearance. Even after a year, Tony was still surprised every time he got the chance to hear it, since the man maybe talked once every blue moon. Following the pointed finger, Tony watched in awe and disbelief as what appeared to be a giant green roaring meteor fell from the sky and crashed into the ocean.

His entire crew stopped moving as they watched the green entity crash into the ocean and as a wave disturbed the peaceful sea. With a grin and a little clap, Tony ran to the back of the ship pointing toward the green ball that had crashed with a goofy smile he just couldn't hide. "Everyone at their post and at the ready! That is our destination!"

Natasha was glaring at him so hard, she could have pierced his head with her sight alone. Everyone on the ship had been instructed to go hide below deck, leaving only Tony, Natasha and Kong under the sun. The big man simply because he refused to hide behind anything and Natasha because she wasn't done glaring. Surprisingly Pepper had taken one look at them and then had happily walked away to hide in the captain cabin.

"This is a stupid idea. We don't even know what it is!"

"I do!"

"You're not even sure!"

"Don't care!" Tony simply sing songed, only pausing when the sound of something under the water bumped into the ship and they all heard an underwater growl. Tony had already told Natasha to go hide with Pepper, knowing full well that if that creature really was the Hulk, the red haired woman would not be his favorite person to see. At the sound of the growl, Natasha seemed to decide she had glared enough and with one final look, this one more worried, she went to hide with the rest of the crew. Kong slid in the shadows as he was ordered and Tony approached the side of the ship, peering into the water. He didn't know how well the Hulk could swim but he really hoped that the thing that he had just heard really was the Hulk or he was in so much trouble.

Before the water started to foam and a growl could be heard again, he felt a pair of eyes on him and took a step back as a powerful green body jumped out of the water and landed in front of him on the deck. Water splashed against Tony's face but he didn't move as the green giant’s eyes set on him, the green gaze ran from his head to his toes with a slow calculating look that made Tony smile. Once the smile broke his face in two, the Hulk finally moved, placing his arms and legs around Tony, his face against the man's torso. Tony carded his fingers in the big giant’s soft black hair as his other hand caressed the green shoulder softly.

"Hey Jolly Green." A soft sound escaped the giant under his hands and it took a moment before Tony realized he was hearing the Hulk sobbing against his chest. Pulling softly, Tony was able to make the Hulk look up and into his eyes and saw so much pain in those soft emerald eyes that he fell against the strong chest and let himself be cradled in those strong arms.

"My Tony, my Tony, my Tony, my Tony, my Tony....."

"Always." They stayed like this for so long, Tony lost track of time, simply cradling the big head in his arms and letting himself be soaked in his salty giant tears. The sun came down crashing against the sea and painting the water orange as the Hulk's sobs turned more soft and his arms relaxed the death grip they had have on Tony. It was only as the sun was replaced by the moon that Tony started to feel the telling signs that Hulk was giving his place to Bruce, his body shook once and with one final squeeze and loving look, Tony was holding a sleeping Banner. Tony picked him up into his arms, frowning at how light the doctor was and with a nod to Kong to let him know he could release the crew, he carried Banner to his cabin and closed the door behind them. Slowly taking away his clothes, he had become quite good at removing Asgardian clothing over the year since Loki wasn't there to remove it magically and placed Bruce on his bed and under the covers. Placing the scientist's Asgardian armour in the same crate where he stored his, he still wore his but not all days since it was a painful reminder of his husband and pulling a chair next to the bed, studied his friend.

Bruce looked terrible, his cheeks were sunken in like he hadn't eaten in a long time, his eyes were surrounded by bags of fatigue and dark circles so dark they could have rivalled against the bottomless sea. His skin was pale like it hadn't seen the sun in a long time, his hair normally a little out of order was now plastered to his head without their usual healthy curls. With a sigh of sadness, Tony leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his friend's forehead before he leaned back crossing his arms over his chest, placing his booted feet at the end of the bed and placing his hat over his face, ready to keep watch next to his friend. A year aboard a pirate ship had made his senses more sharp and at any sound he knew he would awake sword at the ready, if anyone was stupid enough to go against his orders and step inside his cabin but Kong was keeping watch in front of his door and going through the gorilla man was an impossible task.

Something pulled him out of his sleep, he didn't know what yet, but let his senses run free as he listened for any unusual sound. Not hearing anything or sensing anything weird, Tony was about to go back to sleep when he felt a pair of eyes on him.

"Where I am?" Bruce sounded a little lost but also ready to defend himself. Tony was about to question his friend feelings at seeing him again, when he remembered that his hat was covering his face. Taking a deeper voice, Tony simply shrugged and answer.

"My ship."

"Your ship... what are you then a pirate?" There was so much judgment behind the question and so much disgust that Tony had to stop himself from laughing and slowly brought his feet to the floor and a hand to his hat before answering.

"Well Brucey baby it was that or," Pulling the hat away from his face with a grin Tony looked into his friend's stun face. "Town wench and pirate really does suit me better."

Bruce was just staring at him with huge eyes that looked like they were about to pop out of his head, his mouth was open in a surprise ‘O’ and all the fight seemed to have just drained out of him. Before Tony could say anything else, Bruce closed his eyes and started muttering frantically. Leaning a little bit more, Tony listened in surprise as his friend babbled. "Please, I can't take another dream, I can't take another false hope, please, please, please be real...."

Jumping out of his chair, Tony straddled Bruce tight, surprising the scientist enough that his eyes popped back open, searching Tony's. The genius leaned down placing both his arms on each side of Bruce face, looking straight into his eyes with a worried look at all the sadness and maybe a little bit of the insanity he could see there.

"Brucey, sweety I swear on Jarvis that it's me and that I'm not going anywhere." With a painful little sound, Bruce finally moved, placing his arms around Tony and pulled his face toward his crashing their lips together in a desperate kiss. As their lips meet, Tony became pliant under Bruce's touch letting the scientist's hands touch him everywhere he wanted, letting the small man's lips devour his, to affirm his existence and melted against Bruce when he was turned around on the bed and Bruce crawled on top of him, his arms and legs trapping him under the scientist. Holding Banner against him, Tony didn't move and after sometime he started talking, about his life, about his encounter with his older self, about his fear of never seeing his own universe again, about his rising desire to simply let a another man pierce his heart just he wouldn't have to lose hope, about his crew, about Kong the serial killer gorilla man and finally about how much he had missed and loved his Brucey.

All the while, Bruce stayed quiet the only indication that he was still listening was his soft breathing and intake of breath when Tony talked about the battles he had fought and the enemies he had made. When he finally fell silent, Bruce looked up and into his eyes, there was something really dark looking back at him, something possessive, something like a beast, something more terrifying than the Hulk. But Tony faced the beast and when the dark possessive look was replaced by Banner's sweet loving eyes, Tony simply leaned down and pressed a kiss to his best friend's forehead. They fell asleep in silence, Bruce being his usual octopus self, his limbs secured around Tony's body and soon after Tony fell asleep, his heart a little lighter now that he had this precious man in his arms and knowing that soon enough he would be back into his trickster's embrace.


	7. Ambush and reunion

His Bruce was different, not by much and not that it actually showed but he was. He had always been clingy on his best of days and always liked to eat with Tony because then it would mean that the scientist actually had something in his stomach other than coffee or alcohol. On any good day, he would fall asleep half lying on Tony and snoring happily like he was in the safest place in the world. Which he was because Tony would have never allowed anything to happen to Bruce while he was under his protection and even less when the doctor was finally allowing himself to sleep this peacefully. So the fact that Bruce was always around, to his left on the deck, at his side during any meal and in his bed wrapped around Tony like a giant octopus every night was not new. What was new was the way he just stared down anyone who came to close but not in his usual I-will-kill-you-if-you-even-make-one-wrong-move usual stare, it was more of a MINE kind of stare. A stare that Tony had often seen on Loki but never on Bruce, not in that way. Tony knew they should probably talk about it or even just point it out but he was still a firm believer of the very efficient concept, if you don't talk about it, the problem doesn't really exist. Plus he did enjoy all the attention, it kind of reminded him of Loki and help his heart feel a little lighter at the end of each day.

Of course Kong and Bruce hit it off after one glance, a gorilla man who killed anyone he thought would harm his captain and a silent brooding doctor who turned into a very possessive and destructive green giant; match made in heaven. Tony had not been particularly surprised by the fact that Natasha and Bruce hated each other, the red haired woman knew the doctor was in some way the green giant they had seen fall into the ocean and just did not trust him on her precious ship. Tony had opted to simply ignore her and her pouting because he had his Brucey back, which was just awesome, and Loki was somewhere out there looking for him and it was just a matter of days before they were reunited. So he was happily lying in the sun on the deck as his crew ran around taking command from the pissed off Nat. Bruce was lying next to him, his head pillowed on his stomach while Kong stood near glaring away anyone who even came close to stepping on his captain's head in their haste to follow orders.

"So you found yourself, Natasha and Pepper, did you find any other avengers in this universe?" Bruce ask lazily, he had shown a certain interest in parallel universes since he had been here and Tony could understand his curiosity. He had understood even more after Brucey had shown him some pictures of different version of themselves that he had taken with his Stark phone.

"Well, Clint was a slave on a ship we boarded, I left him and all the slaves we've freed since on a small island they now rule with an iron fist. It is super well hidden and unless you know exactly where the island and the village are, you're just going to fall into all the traps I showed him how to build. It's a pirate haven, quite nice and with excellent rum." Bruce hummed happily, the sound vibrating against Tony stomach making him laugh a little which only made Bruce smile brighter." And then there's Rogers."

Bruce turned his head with raised eyebrows and Kong growled at the mention of the familiar name. Tony knew Bruce had never been a big fan of the good Captain, he would follow his order to the letter and the Hulk just kind of followed because Tony did but as a whole it was mostly bearable tolerance. So with a sigh, he explained knowing full well Bruce would not be pleased with this little discovery.

"Admiral Steve Rogers is the captain of a fleet of ships that are honor bound to kill all the pirates presently living. Let's just say that the first time we crossed paths, it wasn't the first time for him and apparently he has quite the grudge against my older self."

"Any idea why?"

"Oh yes, that might have been because my older counterpart sunk six of his ships in the last two years or it might be because he had the brilliant idea the one time he captured the Admiral to brand him with the Iron lady crest but that's just a guest." Bruce was looking at him with wide round eyes clearly trying very hard not to laugh and failing miserably, Kong on the other hand was not failing at all as he simply chuckled darkly. "Yeah from what I understand, they have a history of mutual vengeance and injuries. Let's just say that coming face to face with the man at a port we had stopped at was not a good moment for me. If Kong hadn't punched him senseless, I would probably be trapped in his personal dungeon or dead by now."

"Personal dungeon?" Bruce's eyebrows went back up in surprise and Kong went back to unhappy grunting mixed with what seemed to be like a very pleased smile. He was probably remembering punching the admiral.

"Oh our good Captain has a taste for torture and according to the rumors, he has his own personal torture chamber for all the pirate he keeps as prisoners. How do I know all this you might ask, well the same rumor says that I am the only one who ever escaped it and by me, I obviously mean the other pirate me. I have no idea what happened between those two for them to hate each other so much and I never found older me again so I'll probably never know."

"When's the last time you saw Rogers?"

"Two months ago, I sunk his precious Shield. I mean he's a pain in the ass so I'm just keeping with tradition. Find Rogers, sink his ship and sail away."

"... So old Tony sunk six of his ships in two years and you?"

"Sunk five in one year. I really hope I get to sink at least two more before this is all over, you know just for good measure." Bruce shook his head in amusement but there was something in his eyes that just told Tony that if they crossed paths with Rogers on Bruce's territory, he would not be walking away in one piece. With a sigh, Tony reached over and started playing with Bruce's curls tugging slightly before petting them down in a way he just knew from experience would make Bruce drowsy. It only took four pulls and six soft caresses before Bruce was snoring lightly under his touch. It was good to see the doctor so relaxed after seeing him so tense. He had looked like he was about to jump out of his skin.

Looking up at the blue sky, Tony wondered how all this had changed him. He was still mostly himself and he was grateful that his friend was too. But he had been a pirate for a year now, a man in charge of an entire crew and while before he would have said he wasn't a team player, he couldn't say it anymore. He had realized how much he cared about the Avengers as the days passed. He knew them as well as he knew his crew. They were family to him and he could now admit to himself that he would do anything for them. That had been another big realization, the fact that he could admit so much about himself, accept so much about himself. Because where there had been self-doubt and a little bit of hatred against himself before, there was now only a certain kind of peace. He was not perfect, far from it but his crew had accepted him with his flaws, his loud mouth, his incapability to filter his words and thoughts and there had been no judgment. So as time passed, he had accepted all of his flaws as well and felt more at peace, happier in his own skin then he had been in years. He wasn’t his father son and had accepted that fact more easily since meeting Loki. All the guilt about his past as a merchant of death was still there but it was balanced with the pride he felt as to the man he had become. He had also realized how much he loved the damn trickster, not just as a stupid God with the most amazing eyes he had ever seen but also as the caring man he was and as the man who made his heart skip a beat. With a big part of the guilt gone, his heart had made some more space for his husband and even for Bruce. They were both so important to him, maybe even a little more than Pepper and Rhodey. Not that Tony would ever admit that little fact to any of the four people in concern but to himself, he could easily admit it. Looking down at the sleeping doctor resting on his stomach, which was even more toned down and ripped thanks to all the physical exercise needed in his new line of work and started to form a plan he would have to try once they had found his better half that would soothe the possessiveness in Bruce or make it worse.

++(LO_TO)++

They had been at sea for more than a week. They hadn't met any interesting ships unless you count the memorable introduction of Jack Sparrow to Bruce Banner. They had been sailing under the directive of Natasha when out of nowhere, the Black Pearl had risen from the sea. One moment, there had been a wide expanse of calm sea and the next there was a ship rising out of it with a laughing Sparrow and his soaked out glaring crew. Natasha had rolled her eyes showing how unimpressed she was with the other captain's shenanigans and as usual, the Iron Lady crew had ignored the other ship, too used to all the weird ways the ship always seemed to appear. Although the one time the Black Pearl had come from above, crashing like a meteor right next to the Iron Lady and then as the water had fallen down, Jack had just been grinning at Tony like a loon, his ship completely unharmed. So this, to Tony and his crew was not something new or surprising but Bruce on the other hand was standing next to Tony, gaping like a fish out of water as Tony and Jack waved at each other with their shit eating grins plastered on their faces. Ignoring the glare on Natasha's face, Tony ordered her to bring the two ships side to side so Jack could jump aboard. He had made the mistake of going aboard the Black Pearl once and had found himself halfway across the land of the dead, had seen ghosts and mermaids and did not feel like repeating the experience, so Sparrow was always the one to come aboard. With a ridiculous flourish, a wave of his hands and the use of three different ropes, Sparrow jumped aboard leaving his crew behind to make sure his precious ship was alright and to secure the two pirate ships together. Jack's crew had tried to dump him on Tony's ship enough time to make the need to secure the ships together a much needed necessity.

Once aboard, Jack pull out a familiar flask of rum throwing it to Tony before taking a generous sip of his own and threw his arms around Tony in familiar companionship. In one year, they had lived through enough adventures together to make them brothers from another mother and children of the sea. No, they were literally children of the sea after Jack had convince her to adopt them, the man was ridiculous and Tony loved him to bits.

"So where's Barbossa?" Jack sighed, leaning a little more heavily on Tony than was necessary, those two were either fighting or climbing all over each other, there just was no middle ground.

"Left him in the other realm, he was just so annoying." Tony would have been shocked, he really would, if he didn't know that their relationship had begun with Barbossa becoming an undead pirate and leaving Jack on an island to die.

"The moment he gets back, he's going to kill you Jack." Sparrow sighed a little dreamily, looking at nothing in particular. If only they stayed dead when they did kill each other.

"That or he'll tie me up to the bed for a couple of days. I can't say I mind either of those, he can be so creative when he's mad.... I think I miss him already." A bipolar with Tourette would have trouble following Jack's mood swings but Tony just kind of felt like they sometimes mirrored his own and enjoyed the kindred mind. He stifled a laugh when Sparrow's eyes landed on Bruce and a very worrying grin stretched the pirate's face as his gaze went from Tony to Bruce. He grabbed Tony's gloved hand and shook it between Tony and the doctor with an excited grin. "He's new, he's so so new, that a new face... Wait! He's he the one you belong to! He's the reason you turned down a threesome with me and Barbossa?"

Before the genius could answer, Bruce grabbed his hand and pulled him to his side with a little growl but his eyes stayed their usual chocolate brown so everything was fine. Jack on the other hand placed his hands over his mouth in a fake gasp of surprise and did what looked like a little dance to move closer to Bruce and examine his eyes. With a grin, Tony placed his arms around Bruce's neck leaning against him and peering over his shoulder to keep his conversation with a now very interested Jack.

"No he's not, just a very precious friend."

"More precious than me." Tony simply shrugged and smiled over Bruce's shoulder. "I'm hurt Stark. Really I am. Here I thought we had something special, that's just rude."

A speculative look crossed Sparrow's face and before Tony could warn him or pull Bruce away, the other captain had both hands slapped against the doctor's cheeks and Jack was pressing a truly impressive smack of lips against Banner's shocked face. Thinking fast and knowing Bruce well enough to know his shock would only last so long, he spun the doctor away from the pirate's embrace so he was behind Tony and thus couldn't kill the now grinning lunatic.

"Soft and pudgy, not my taste but I approve!" Tony simply rolled his eyes. He had had the same treatment the first time they had drank together and had ended up making out with the pirate under the table before they had parted and just started giggling like schoolgirls. It had been the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

"Jack last time you did that, Barbossa threatened to cut off your head."

"Pffff he had me against a wall instead. Why would I stop when I get rewarded for my behavior? Plus, I had to taste your green giant." The genius heard Bruce gasp in surprise behind him. He had talked to Jack about Loki and Bruce. The pirate may like to make people believe that he was an imbecile but there was a very sharp mind behind all that weird mannerisms. He had briefly described Bruce to the pirate; short, adorable and turned green and smashy when pissed off, so it wasn't really that much of a leap to assume that the grabby possessive man was his jolly green if he wasn't his husband. Sparrow was the only one who knew about Loki being the God of Mischief. He had gotten a slap on the back and a barrel of rum for banging a God and about Bruce being not completely human, because Jack's life was just as weird as Tony's and nothing shocked the pirate. Plus as he went on all his crazy adventures, Sparrow always looked out for Tony, seeing if he could find a way for the genius to go back to his universe. He truly was a fantastic friend.

"Well, if you do that again I cannot guarantee your safety from Brucey."

"Hmmm yes, yes smashy man isn't he?" Tony simply nodded feeling Bruce's glare trying very hard to make a hole in the back of his head, so he pulled the doctor back to his side, deciding it was high time to simply introduce them and see where that went.

"Bruce Banner doctor extraordinaire, meet Jack Sparrow; pirate lunatic." Bruce startled a little as Jack moved forward again but this time to give a little flourish and a bow, his hands going everywhere and nowhere.

"A pleasure to meet you Banner. Tony here has been talking about you at nosium, so it is an honor to meet a man that is held in such high esteem by my dear friend." Bruce simply gave a little nod but the corner of his mouth was starting to lift a little in a smile Tony knew could turn quite fond with the right incentive.

"Nice to meet you. Tony did mention you once or twice... He didn't quite describe you as... hmmm." Jack gave Tony a surprised look and a raised eyebrow, his lips going little crooked.

"I described you as the captain of the Black Pearl, a nice man with whom I shared a friendship with and who was quite adventurous. Then I tried to explain you and Barbossa, and that's just...."

"Impossible to describe. Have you tried love is full of hatred but it balances everything out in the end?"

"Probably the most accurate description yes." The two captains grinned at each other, while Banner just seemed very confused and wishing very hard to be anywhere but next to the two mad men. Barbossa had once said that Tony was the oil to Jack's fire of insanity and most of the time, the genius had to agree that together they just pushed each other to the very limit of sanity. If they had met in the modern world, it would probably have been in an asylum, where they would have proceeded to take the whole place over or would have started a game of gay chicken that would have resulted in the weirdest relationship the world would have ever seen.

They talk some more, Bruce getting lost in their mingle of different subjects, that varied from past adventures to the best rum a pirate could find on Tortuga. Normally by that point, either Natasha would have started considering smashing Tony's brain out or Barbossa would be dragging a pouting Jack away from Tony's influence. As it was, this time it was Sparrow's own crew that was getting bored and had started untying the two ships forcing Jack to either stay on the Iron Lady or make one of his famous, over the top dramatic returns to his ship. Before he swung himself to his ship, he grabbed Tony around the shoulder and pulled him in, whispering in his ear so he was the only one who could hear the sadness in the other pirate's voice.

"Is this our last hurrah my friend?" Tony buried his face in the pirate's shoulder smelling rum, canon powder and Sparrow's own scent nodding a little. "It was a pleasure to be a part of your life Captain Stark. It'll be hard to find such a companion again."

With one last squeeze and a light kiss to his forehead, Jack swung himself to his ship landing with his arms stretched toward the sky. He turned on his heels and gave a little bow and a wave toward the Iron Lady. It would probably be the last time they ever saw each other and Tony was grateful to have had the pleasure to see his friend one last time, vowing to himself that he would try and search for the man in his own universe, not really wanting to lose the man from his life forever. As he raised his hand to give his own wave, he looked to his wrist to find one of Jack's many leather bracelets tied around his own wrist. Touching it with two careful fingers, a smile broke out on Tony's face. Looking up, he saw his friend looking at him with one of his weird smiles that meant he was thinking of something impossible that he would probably succeed in making a reality.

"I'll find a way to see you again Stark, this is a until we meet again!"

Tony gave a little bow of confirmation, approving of his friend's crazy plan without even knowing what it would entail but if it meant he would be able to introduce the pirate to the Avengers and watch Sparrow wreck havoc through a modern day New York, he was willing to agree to anything. Bruce came to his side, squeezing his shoulder as Tony touched the leather bracelet one last time. On one hand, the leather band showing his friendship to a crazy man and on his other hand, a wedding band showing his love for a crazy man.

++(LO_TO)++

They had made a pit stop at Arrow Island, yes Clint had been the one to name it but the island was shaped as an arrow so Tony couldn't really blame him for the name, to fill up on food and water. Arrow Island was a maze of vegetation. If one didn't know where to come ashore, one would find himself in a maze of traps and truly dangerous cliff of rocks and what Tony was sure was the resting place of a Kraken. To make matters worse for any new comers, Clint had built the village high in the trees. The whole village was completely hidden in the vegetation and you had to be shown in to even find it. Many naval ships had tried to take control of the pirate haven but they had either been killed by the traps and had went crazy as the vegetation seemed to come alive as the sun came down.

Tony was walking around the rope bridges with Clint enumerating all the things they would need for the ship, closely followed by Bruce since Kong did not like heights and had chosen to stay on familiar ground. They passed a clearing in the branches when Tony saw it. In the horizon, three little black dots coming their way. It couldn't be a pirate ship as pirates never sailed together unless they were going to war, so he stopped and tapped Clint on the shoulder to get his attention. The young man handed over binoculars, taking his own out and they both looked to the horizon before exchanging a grim look. Tony gave his binoculars to Bruce, he then turned giving a nod to Clint and the young man took off running back to the Iron Lady.

"Tony, what's going on?" Bruce sounded a little worried, he had never seen Tony this serious and maybe with a little bit of murderous fury in his eyes.

"Rogers. It would seem that the good Admiral has decided to seek the help of Corporal Fury. I swear, I really thought a man wearing an eye patch would turned up as a pirate, not a pain in my ass Corporal."

"What are they doing here?"

"They've come for me. They must have seen my ship coming ashore and decided to take advantage of the fact that I am the only ship on the island, three against one, the perfect ambush." Bruce still looked a little worried but that might have been because Tony contrary to what Bruce was used to stayed completely calm, calculating all the possibilities that offered themselves to him. Looking over to the side, Tony gave a little nod and started walking back to the ship, passing Clint and Natasha on his way. The two took their place by their captain's side leaving Bruce to take the rear of their group.

"Captain?" Natasha asked with a respect she only showed to him in time of crisis because he always got them out safely, the only reason why he was still captain of his ship and had not yet been replace by the red haired woman.

"Clint, are all our provision on the ship?"

"Aye."

"Has the crew been called back to the ship?"

"Aye."

"Then go back to your men and prepare the village for an assault. I'll try to make sure they don't come ashore but better be safe than sorry."

"Aye, aye Captain!" Clint turned sharply on his heel passing Bruce in a hurry as he climbed back up, already barking orders. Natasha took his place in her own smooth way, already matching her step to her captain.

"Those ships cannot come ashore, they are too heavily armed. They would destroy this whole island instead of just capturing the pirates and slaves hiding here, no woman or child must be harmed."

"Aye."

"Fire the Iron Lady's engine. We'll wait for them to come closer and lead them to the pass."

"Aye, aye Captain." Natasha ran forward going to the ship to prepare for her captain's return. Bruce stepped forward looking at Tony's serious face with a weird expression that the genius couldn't read.

"Yes Bruce?"

"You know when Fury said you wouldn't be a good fit as the Avengers leader?"

"Yes, what of it?"

"I'm starting to think he made a grave mistake." Tony gave a surprised look to his friend but Bruce simply shrugged, following the genius in silence as they finally reached the small boat that would take them back to the Iron Lady. Once his boots touched the deck of his ship, Tony walked to his cabin and emerged minutes later wearing his Asgardian armour, his blood red leather coat and the hat his older self had placed upon his head making him the captain and protector of the Iron Lady. His crew was all on the deck looking at him with respect. They might sometime think that their captain was a goof, a careless man who sometimes took unnecessary risks with his life but never had their captain taken the same risks with any of his crew's lives and he had never left any of them behind. So in situation of crisis, as their captain stood before them wearing his war armour, a murderous calculating look in his eyes, they knew to trust his judgment and leadership.

"They are three ships coming this way hoping to take down our Lady. Should we just lie down and let them take her?!"

"NO!" The crew yelled with their fists in the air and their expressions changing from a simple crew to a truly terrifying pirate crew under the doctor's impressed gaze.

"We will wait for those poor fools to approach and then we'll lead them to their deaths in the Kraken Valley! Everyone at their post and be ready to fight back if the chance to sink those bastards down to the bottom of the sea comes!"

"Aye, Aye Captain!" The crew moved as one, every single one of them moving like a well oiled machine, as Tony took his place at the command of his ship, Bruce standing at his side with a confident expression that was reflected on Natasha's face as she took her place as second in command at the captain's side.

"Natasha, is she ready to swim for our lives?"

"The Lady is ready at your orders Captain." Tony grinned the same grin he always had before an attack, a more sharp and cruel smile then anything that had ever cross his face before but as the year had passed his place as the captain of this ship had never been challenged because he had learned to adapt and evolve. He wasn't the merchant of death anymore. He wasn't Iron Man in this universe. Here, he was Captain Tony Stark of the Iron Lady and he would do anything to keep the people on his ship and on his island safe. 

++(LO_TO)++

Loki had been sailing his ghost ship for the better part of two weeks now. He had heard all kinds of rumors about a ship named the Iron Lady and her crazy captain. At the first mention of the captain, the God's heart had squeezed in relief but also in worry as his better half was still quite mortal and the stories he heard from every ship he passed only made his worry grow. He knew, of course, that his better half was a resourceful man that could take care of himself but it didn't stop him from worrying. Hogun hadn't come down from his perch. His eyes always roaming over the sea, spotting every ship they pass and Loki could see the disappointment on the silent man's face every time the ship turned out empty of their goal. He hadn't heard anything about Banner, which was another source of worry because if he was to find Anthony before Banner he just knew his better half would not be pleased with him.

As time passed, the God let more and more of the old voice that used to fill his head to slip through his defenses, pushing him slowly but surely toward madness. Hogun didn't seemed to have noticed the way the trickster started to stare into empty space as the voice whispered to him all the fear that coursed through his mind. Images of his lover dead at the bottom of the sea, the possibility that he would find Anthony on his death or even more worrying since he had learned that the rumors dated of, at the very least more than a year, that his husband had started his life anew and found happiness with someone else. That particular thought was driven home more than once when he heard of a man named Jack Sparrow that seemed to be quite close to his better half. Actually from what he had heard, there were many men out there who thought the two men had been an item for quite some time. That was the thought Loki had lost himself into when Hogun jumped down from his perch to land squarely on his feet next to Loki and pointed toward the horizon where they could see the outline of an island. Turning his attention to what the silent God was showing him instead of letting his thoughts drown him in sorrow, Loki looked on as he could clearly see the dark speck of what he believed were three ships.

Loki frowned as he couldn't really see if these were pirate ships or navy ships but as he had learned early on, most pirate ships did not sail together making it very unlikely that Anthony would be on one of these ships. He was about to say so to Hogun but the Mongol attention went beyond the three ships. Curious, the trickster augmented his own eye sight with a simple spell to see what had caught his companion's attention and almost stopped breathing. There, farther away and closer to the shore was a smaller ship, clearly a pirate ship from her flag and her number of canons. But what caught Loki's attention was the man at her commands. There stood Anthony clad in red looking over at the three ships with a displeased expression on his face and right there next to him stood Banner. He watched on in frozen shock as Anthony shouted something over his shoulder as the three ships came close enough to fire upon them. With a speed that was uncanny for an unmoving ship, the pirate ship turned around and made a beeline for a cliff surrounded by pointy rocks and crashing waves. All of Anthony's attention was on his goal as the three ships moved to follow him.

Thinking fast, Loki looked for another frozen moment as Anthony's ship entered the dangerous path and turned to Hogun, the voice in his head falling away into nothingness, a cruel smile curling his lips.

"It seems my husband might need some help sinking those ships." Hogun simply nodded as Loki pushed the ship toward the path to follow the three ships who dared attack his better half. He could have teleported to Anthony there and then but he wanted to be sure of the safety of his mate and if he could protect his lover's back in the process, it would be his pleasure to lend a helping hand.

++(LO_TO)++

All of Tony's attention was at the front of the ship. He ignored Bruce as the doctor had wrapped his arms around Tony as the ship was hit from side to side by the waves that came crashing against the side of the cliff to their right. He ignored all of his crew members as they jumped in and out of his sight trying to keep the ship upright as their captain led her into at a suicide pace and he ignored the sound of the canons as the ships following him tried to sink him as they followed him into the pass. The sound however brought a smile to Tony's lips as he heard enough canons to know that all three ships were following him, which meant that the village was safe from Rogers and Fury's wrath. His smile only grew as he heard one of the ships crash against the side of the cliff taken by an impressive wave that the Iron Lady had only just avoided relying on her captain's reflexes to keep her safe. He was now on equal ground with his older self in terms of the Rogers sinking ships games. He could feel under his feet as the wood groaned as rocks tried to pierce the Iron Lady's wooden body but every time he felt a tremor thinking the ship would get stuck or be pierced, Tony moved her one way or the other relying on his surrounding and gut to lead her on. Behind him, he could hear Natasha ordering the crew below deck to bring the canon Tony had had installed at the back of the ship out as one of the ships had become too close for the red haired woman's comfort. He heard as his small but deadly little babies pierced holes that would make it very difficult for the ship trying to catch them to survive much longer in the pass.

He looked around trying to find what he was looking for and with a pleased smile, finally saw the entrance of the Kraken cave. He still wasn't sure if there was actually a Kraken in the shallow depth of the darkness but it had been named as such because of the roar sound the waves made inside the cave as they crashed against its walls during the high tide. As it was, the tide was low enough that the Iron Lady fitted herself quite easily inside her walls and through the opening that was on the other side of it that could only be accessed when the sea was this low. As he came on the other side, he spun the Iron Lady to her side, his ship now in calmer waters, easily responded to his command and turned to her side with one smooth glide.

"Open fire on anything that come out of this entrance!"

"Aye, Aye Captain!" The canons were pulled out and the moment the second ship showed itself through the opening looking like it was just about to sink on itself, Tony gave the order and watched as the ship was destroyed to pieces and her crew jumped to the dark waters as the ship finally slipped into her watery coffin. His smile was ripped of his face as he watched over his shoulder, the third and final ship coming out of the pass looking like it had been a walk in the park and with a very furious looking Rogers at its command. The idea that he had sunk Fury gave his face a dangerous little twist as he ordered his crew around and commanded the Iron Lady around. One on one was a fair battle that Tony would enjoy giving to his enemy.

Rogers ship was bigger, had more canons, had more soldiers but Tony had taken him on before and won. He wouldn't abandon now, wouldn't let Rogers take his ship without a fight, he just couldn't. Rogers’ ship was coming straight for him. The man clearly intended to simply crash his ship against the Iron Lady hoping to overpower her with its bigger bulk. Ready to give the command to fire upon the ship, Tony raised his hand his eyes looked towards Rogers as they both challenged each other. As Tony's hand came down, Rogers’ ship was rocked by an explosion and as Tony watched on with surprise and confusion, more and more explosions rocked the bigger ship, until in front of his very eyes, it started to sink. Rogers’ crew jumped overboard and explosions kept rocking the boat, Tony watched on knowing full well that if any of the Navy ship's crew made their way to him, his crew would take care of them. Rogers waited until the last moment before he jumped in the water, giving one last glare to his enemy.

The sinking ship revealed another ship standing behind it and as Tony searched for the crew, as there was no one in sight, his eyes finally fell at the top of the ship where he saw a familiar silhouette. He was about to shout out to the silent God when Bruce's arms moved away from him and were replaced by long strong arms he would have recognized anywhere and a silky voice that caressed his neck as he was pulled against a strong lean chest and soft dark curls caressed his cheek.

"Miss me, darling?"


	8. Immortality and negociation

His feet left the ground as he turned around in the familiar missed arms and Loki lifted him up from the ground, crushing their lips and bodies together. Tony melted against the lean body, letting his precious God devour and repossess his whole being, feeling like the parts of himself that had been missing were finally being put back together. His husband’s arms were crushing him against hislean chest, making it almost impossible for the genius to breath, but he could not find it in himselfto care. If he was to die at least it would be in the arms of the man he loved. 

"Tony's turning blue." Bruce’s voice came from right behind him. Tony simply chuckled, breakingthe spell while Loki, though never letting him go,loosened his grip, eyeing the doctor over Tony's head with relief. 

"I did fear for my fate if I was to find Anthony without you at my side."

"You, babe, would have found the meaning of sexless life if you had lost my doctor, but since I found him on my own...let's find a bed?" Loki's eyes turned a deeper green as they watched the rise of the flush Tony could feel covering his cheeks. If anyone had told him that one day he would ward off sex for a year to stay committed to a man he wasn't even sure he would ever see again, he would have scoffed and gone back to drinking whatever was his poison at the time. Now, however, since he had bound his life with Loki’s, he couldn't even imagine having betrayed this gorgeous, fantastic man with anyone, it just wasn't worth the risk. Although...Tony spared a look at Bruce with a frown, thinking again...maybe...

"Captain!" Natasha had appeared as it was usual for her to do, out of nowhere, and was now standing next to the intertwined couple looking a little confused. Well yeah, the man had appeared out of nowhere with a ship and then had started kissing their captain. It wasn't a common occurrence but it wasn't too far away from one of Jack’s own special brand of entry. Encircling his legs around the God’s waist and lifting himself a little higher so he was more comfortable, Tony gave all his attention to his second in command, ignoring the smirk's on the God’s and the doctor’s faces. 

"Natasha this is Loki, my husband."

"...I had hoped that was the answer you would give me, Sir." She gave a worried look toward the God, in any universe it would seem that Natasha would always be on her guard toward the God of mischief. "But I am here for the attack report."

"Ok, casualties, boats, Clint and Rogers."

"Four deaths and five minor injuries. All of the boats have been sunk." Tony had to give a little fist pump at that, he had beaten his alter ego’srecords in a year. "The village was ignored in favor of our destruction and Clint just signalled to me from the beach that they have fished out Rogers and most of his crew."

"Let’s go back to the beach, we'll see what we are to do with them. Some of them might be tempted to turn to an honest life of piracy, but as for Rogers, I fear many of his victims might have reserved a surprise or two for him."

"He might already be dead, Captain."

"Missing a few limbs maybe, but Clint did say if he ever captured Rogers he would leave me the final blow. Let's set sail before his resolve is tested."

"Aye, aye Captain." Natasha spun on her heels,already barking orders to go back to the village.With a nod, Tony turned back to find astonishedeyes looking down at him. Loki looked a little awe-struck while Bruce only scoffed.

"What?"

"How...how long have you been captain of this ship, darling?" Tony let himself enjoy the pet name he hadn't heard in a long time before answering, he really had missed his lover’s voice quite a bit.

"One year, two months, four days." Loki’s face fell as he let Tony’s legs drop down from his waist again. Loki seemed on the verge of a mental breakdown, looking a little lost, before he stepped away and went to the side of the boat, looking like a pale ghost. The genius moved to be at his side, but all of a sudden a wet Hogun was beside him, pulling him back with a look that clearly asked the genius to give the God a moment aloneto get his bearing back. Tony looked to his best friend who simply stepped forward, encircled his waist, and pulled him a little away, but not so much so that the genius would lose sight of his husband. 

"Just give him a moment. For us it was days, maybe months, but definitely not a whole year."

"But..."

"Tony, you have to see where the panic comes from. We lost you, were ready for the possibility that you were dead or worse. When I finally found you, I thought you had spent the same amount of time here that we had spent travelling from universe to universe, only to find out that it had been much longer for you. One year means that it could have been longer, that we could have found you old and on your death bed. In Loki's case it means you could have redone your whole life without him or...me."

"But you didn't...."

"Oh, I had my silent freak-out while you were asleep in my arms. It is terrifying to realise all this as it crashes against all the scenarios that our brains gave us, only to have you as yourself in one piece, smiling at us as if it were nothing." 

"NOTHING! You’re kidding me, right?" Bruce simply rolled his eyes with another scoff, but leaned a little more against the genius’ side, nuzzling his neck with a sigh.

"Let him have his freak-out and then talk to him, explain your life, and answer all his questions with truth, like you did with me...it helps a lot." Tony simply nodded, staying at his best friend’s side as the boat arrived at the shore. Leaving Bruce and Hogun to take care of his lover, Tony walked to the group of kneeling soldiers lined up on the beach. Rogers, he noted, had been tied to a tree away from his men and guarded by four of Clint's men. Clint walked up to Tony, placing an arm around his shoulder to whisper in his ear.

"We kept the young and easily manipulated, the others were useless and already brainwashed. As for Rogers..."

"His fate comes later. Let him agonise over the worst scenario his brain can provide him before giving him the real hell." Clint nodded approvingly as he stepped back, taking his place to Tony’s left as Natasha took her place at his right. Tony looked at the twenty or so young men kneeling in the sand, looking around with terrified eyes. He waited until all eyes were on him andthen cleared his throat.

"As most of you know, I am Captain Stark of the Iron Lady." Many eyes became a little wider, his reputation was one of fairness, but one did not become a legend in the pirate world by being soft on one’s enemies. "Your ships have been sunk, your old life with them. You are on my island, which gives you two choices. Either you work for the people of the island for your redemption and accept this new life as yours, OR you kindly ask Barton over there to blast your brain with lead. Think wisely gentleman, or die for your country."

With a nod to Clint and Natasha, Tony turned around only to be faced with a wide-eyed Loki and a gaping Bruce, though Hogun did not seemed to care whatsoever. With a sigh, and bracing himself for the talk he and Loki needed to have, the pirate walked to his husband, took his hand and made his silent way to the forest, pulling a stunned Loki behind him until they reached the village and the suspended house Tony sometimes called home.

++(LO_TO)++

Loki watched with astonishment as the soft and gentle man he loved so dearly talked to youngmen about life or death. He could see Anthony standing there but could not find a trace of the man he had known in the cold, hard voice and misleading manners. When he had seen his lover talk to another version of Natasha, he had glimpsed the leader, the captain, the harder new part of his companion, but here on the beach he was fully faced with it. When Anthony had turned back to them and looked surprised, Loki had known his face had given away his shock but could not fight it. He watched as his husband walked to them, took his hand and pulled him along a path he clearly knew by heart until they were alone in a small suspended house. As his better half turned, opening his mouth to speak, Loki swept him up and, with hands around his waist, carried the lighter man to the bed. Carefully placing him down, the God of mischief straddled his mate and caught his wrists over his head, leaning down to search his lover’s eyes. Anthony didn't protest or make a move to stop him, he simply relaxed under the God’s hands and gaze, meeting his eyes with a calm look. 

Needing to let go of something as he felt overwhelmed, Loki let his glamour slip away from him, revealing his blue skin and red eyes. The reaction from his lover was immediate, Anthony melted under him, his gaze turned loving and caressing as he took in his partner’strue form. 

"Loki, please." The God did not need to know what his love was pleading for, it was the same plea he had in his heart and he leaned down to capture his mate’s lips, releasing Tony’s hands as they found their way to his dark curls. This was his precious Anthony who saw his true form as something to be worshiped and loved only, not feared. As his cold lips devoured the soft, slightly chapped lips under him, Loki finally allowed himself to relax. This was his Anthony. He might have changed and hardened himself to his new life, but his better half was back at his side,filling his heart with love and need. 

As clothes made their way to the floor and hands re-explored the other’s body, all of the God's doubts and insecurities melted away. They simply touched each other, Loki finding new scars that he traced with his fingers and then his tongue, wanting to remember his lover’s body as it wasnow. Anthony's hair had a little more grey, the little wrinkle at the corner of his eyes appeared as he smiled at the God, but also little wrinkles of worries had found their way between his eyebrows. His lover’s body was still an intricate mix of softness and muscle, more muscle that he had had before, all the signs of the hard life of a warrior there under his fingertips. Loki curled himself around his mate, all of his limbs keeping the smaller man trapped against his body as he hid his face against soft curls smelling of the sea air. 

"...Did I change too much?" Loki was surprised at the insecurity present in the voice of his lover and pulled back a little, looking into gorgeous brown eyes. Anthony wasn't meeting his eyes, his nimblefingers tracing the patterns on the God’s blue skin.

"You have changed, but you could never change too much. You are my Anthony, whatever your action, and will always be mine."

"But you must have seen other me, other versions of me that could have...." 

"I would have sacrificed any version of you to get you back to my side. There is only one of you whoI care about Anthony, none of your others could have taken your place." Anthony finally met his eyes, filled with relief as he leaned up, pressing a soft, loving kiss to the God’s nose, cheek and finally lips. "...One year is a long time for a man with such an appetite as yours, what about..."

"No." Anthony stopped him with a glare and a hand to his heart. "The only man who offered meanything was friendship. We kissed on a very drunken night, but it only solidified our friendship.My heart and my body belonged to you the moment you placed that little piece of metal around my finger."

"One year..."

"Was just enough time for me to realize how much I love you and how different I...I'm not my father." Loki startled a little at that, cursing himself for evendoubting his mate’s fidelity for even a second. Anthony had told him one night, what seem like ages ago, about how his father’s infidelity had driven his mother to drinking, and finally to death. Anthony had spent his life trying to avoid being the man his father had been, so it stood to reason that in regards to marriage, Anthony would once again rise above his father’s poor life choices and be the most faithful man he could. 

Slowly kissing his mate in apology for his error, Loki turned them a little so his lover was caged under him, the inventor’s smaller frame completely covered with his, and reached down his slick fingers to find a very tight opening. He watched as his lover’s eyes closed against the intrusion, as his hips came up to meet his exploring fingers and as his throat released the most exquisite of lustfulsounds. As he slipped inside the heated entrance and sheathed himself fully, he stayed still, waiting for his mate to adjust, gently kissing him until those gorgeous brown eyes opened and met his. They kissed, moaned and looked into each other’s eyes, as the God made love, slowly and possessively reclaiming his territory, until the final moment when his mate shuddered under him and came so hard he covered his belly in white. Moments later, the God found his own release, and cleaned them both upas an after-thought before falling in peaceful sleep with his precious better half snuggled under him.

As the God’s senses came back, he soon realized that his head was pillowed on his mate’s thigh and that he was covered with the genius’ red coat. Turning around so that he could look up into Anthony's eyes, Loki realized that his better half must have moved quite a lot since he was wearing black leather pants, when before he had been naked. The God of mischief watched as his precious heart kept reading a notebook, a penbetween his lips and his other handabsentmindedly playing with the God's hair. This was a somewhat familiar sight and the God’s last worries slipped away into the darkness of his mind, they would probably come back at some point but for now they were happy to lay to rest. 

"Darling." Anthony startled a little, his hand dropping the notebook and going to his other hip, but then he met Loki's eyes and simply smiled,leaning down for a good-morning kiss. Still curious, the God looked over his mate’s thigh as they separated and saw the glimmer of a small dagger resting on the bed. Letting himself fall back into his initial position, he simply looked up with raised eyebrows at a sheepish looking genius.

"That's half Hogun, half my life as a pirate. Light sleeper and always alert. Helped me a couple of times in the past."

"What if someone was to barge in right now my love? We are quite entangled." Not even reaching down for the dagger on the bed, Anthony reachedup for the dagger that was embedded in the wall and, with one expert flick of his wrist, threw it with force at the very center of the door. Flicking his eyes from the dagger to his mate, Loki felt..."I did not think it would be possible, but it would seem I am even more attracted to you now than I was a second ago."

"Well, I am quite an attractive man." Loki simply chuckled as Anthony captured his lips in a searingkiss, leaving the God breathless and a little glassy-eyed. All of a sudden he felt a little like all those teenage girls he had seen once on Earth who had been arguing about how romantic and dashing pirates were. Now, having a pirate of his very own, he had to agree that it was quite the cause for a fluttering heart. Anthony's hand was caressing his hip slowly and with each little circle going lower and lower, when there was a knock on the door. Resting his forehead on the God's with a sigh and one last kiss, the playfulness that had been there before was replaced by the face of a leader, the one Loki had seen on the beach. 

"Yes!"

"Captain, your presence is requested on the beach by Barton with regards to Rogers." 

"Fetch me some breakfast, leave it at the door and go tell Clint I'll be there once I'm done."

"Aye, aye Captain!" Once again the mask of leadership slipped away as Anthony’s eyes met his, but the God was frowning up at him. He had never seen that face or heard that tone in his lover, and he couldn't for the life of him find it in himself to hate it. If one day Anthony really was to be the king of Asgard, this was a glimpse into a bright future.

"What?"

"Nothing...Just an interesting fact that I just discovered. You would be a fabulous leader for the Avengers."

"...Brucy said something very similar to that not so long ago."

"Well we are not blind my love, you are a born leader...who, might I say, hides his true colors quite well. I would wager that if we hadn't comehere, I would never have seen this side of you." Anthony looked around, seeming at a loss for words. With one last caress to the God's head, he slipped from the bed, jumped into his boots and pulled on a white cotton shirt. As he was putting on his belt and swords, he finally turned around to Loki, who had been waiting, putting his glamour back on.

"When...After...The accident that forced me to have this over my heart." He placed one hand over the arc reactor, his eyes loosing themselvesin the blue glow, and Loki stayed silent, letting himgather himself. "I decided to change my ways, to be more human, more responsible, to leave the part of myself that was associated with the merchant of death behind. When I became an Avenger, I realized that all of us have quite a dark past, making us the people we are today. It wasnice to not be the only one, but I still didn't let myself be what I had once been. Then I came here, a place with very few laws and very little logic...I mean Sparrow's, whatever Barbossa is to him, was a walking corpse who died and then came back to life again. So I needed a reputation, a crew whowould not stab me in my sleep and I let myself, the part I thought I should hide...out. I know I probably shocked you down on the beach yesterday, but I swear I never...."

Loki was up and dress in the blink of an eyes, placing the red coat over his mate’s shoulder and tilting his face up so they could look into each other’s eyes. Anthony seemed a little lost and a little worried, but still looked into his lover’s eyes and the God of mischief made sure all he could see was the love Loki had for him and nothing else.

"What shocked me was that you had it in you to make the hard calls without a blink of a doubt. It was a surprise, but a pleasant one at that. I wish to travel to the end of my life with you at my side. The day might come when I rule Asgard and knowing that you will be at my side, seeing what I have seen, fills me with hope and calm for the future."

"...I am not becoming the golden leader of the Avengers when we go back." Loki simply scoffed in amusement as Anthony's face broke into an open grin.

"I would never ask it of you: it would mean I would have to share you with Fury and that’s just not an option." His mate looped his arms around the God’s neck, pulling him down and softly pressingtheir lips together with a soft hum of happiness. As they separated, Anthony finished pulling on his clothes and kept his hat for last. When he turned around to face the God once more, he looked like the pirate leader Loki witnessed since they had found each other again. As his lover’shand reached for him, Loki twined their fingers together and followed his mate to the door. On the other side stood Banner, hands holding a tray of fruit and a surprised expression on his face, that turned into a smile as he saw their joined hands. 

Anthony had a weird expression on his face as he looked from the God to the doctor, and then as if taking a decision, he took the tray and pulled Banner inside. The good doctor seemed a little confused but didn't protest as Anthony closed the door behind them and grabbed an apple from the tray, taking a large bite as his eyes kept on jumping from one man to the other.

"Brucy sweety, would you kiss Loki?" Banner looked about ready to jump out of his skin, but didn't move or say anything as he looked up at the God with a frown on his face. 

"Should I want to?" Banner asked looking very unsure, Loki wasn't sure where this conversation was going either, but he thought he might have an idea.

"I belong to Loki, that has been establish for quite a while now, but and I agree to this, I seem to belong to you to in some ways. My question here is can the two of you share your toys?" Loki and Banner exchanged a startled look and then turned on Anthony who was still calmly eating his apple. Then again, as Loki's eyes returned to the doctor, he was reminded of the Banner who had been married to the female Anthony, the one who had had children and happiness. That had been a blow to Banner and even Loki had seen that the doctorwas more open about his love for his mate since the accident. The God was sure that the good doctor would never make a move to steal the genius from the God, but he also knew that Anthony would never let his friend suffer in silence. So with that in mind, Loki pulled the doctor to him and kissed him softly on the lips...feeling nothing.

"Oh dear." Anthony sighed from the other side of the room and as the two separated, Loki could see that his mate had seen the same thing he had felt. Loki was about to point it out to him, ignoring the frown on Banner's face, but his mate walked over to them and kissed the doctor. Then he turned to Loki and pulled him down for a kiss of his own. As their lips met, Anthony pressed himself between the two men. "Again."

Without question and this time with Banner reaching for him, Loki kissed the doctor, this time tasting Anthony on his lips and feeling his mate nuzzle his neck between them. The God of mischief melted into the familiar feeling and could feel Banner melting into the kiss. It felt natural, it felt familiar and the God could not feel even aspark of jealousy inside himself as they leaned back and heard the soft chuckle of the genius between them, caressing their hips and nuzzling their necks in turn. 

"This is gonna be fun, any objections to my plan yet?" Loki and Banner looked at each other and,seeing a spark of hope in the doctor’s eyes, they both shook their heads. The God felt more friendship than love for the doctor, but with Anthony as a link between them, he did not mind sharing his mate with a man he knew loved the genius just as much as he did. As time passed, the God knew the doctor would stay at their side and friendship could, over the centuries they were facing together, become true love.

++(LO_TO)++

They made their way to the beach, Loki's arm around the genius’ waist and Bruce close to his left in silence. Tony knew he had just toppled both of his companions’ worlds in an instant, but after the way Bruce had been hovering over him, he couldn't ignore his feelings anymore. He did love his God of mischief with all his heart, that would never be questioned, but his heart had been open for the doctor since they had first made eye contact. There was just something about Bruce that calmed his heart and made him feel safe, something that had nothing to do with the other guy. If it hadn't been for the fact that Bruce had insisted on his heterosexuality from the very first day, Tony was sure they would have been togetherthe moment he and Pepper had split up. Something had shifted in the last months that had made Bruce more open about his feelings for the pirate and after losing him for a year, even Tony knew he loved the other man just as much as he did his husband. He knew both his husband and the doctor respected each other and hoped that maybe with time, with him as there link, this respect might grow into something more.

As they arrived on the beach, Tony looked up to see two graves at the edge of the forest and exchanged a look with Clint, before stepping away from Loki and in front of a kneeling Rogers. The man had clearly been roughed up by Clint's men, but seemed to still find it in him to glare at the captain of the Iron Lady. Clint moved to his side, with murder in his eyes while Kong held the former soldier on his knees. 

"I'm going to assume his other men are already hard at work to repay their debt for sparing their lives?"

"Aye."

"The two graves?"

"The first two to refuse our offer." Tony simply hummed, causing the death of innocents was still not something he enjoyed and hoped he never would, but in this environment it was often a necessity. He could feel the weight of the two men standing behind him on his neck, but when he turned to spare them a look, there was no shock or disbelief, only love and trust. Turning his attention back to Rogers, Tony simply nodded toward him with raised eyebrows.

"What about him? Said anything interesting?"

"Nope, the men did try to..."

"Persuade, convince, push, help?"

"Roughly convince him to talk, but he just glares and bleeds."

"Send a message to Barbossa and tell him we have a gift for him. I have no use of him and I'm pretty sure anything that could come to your mind would be nothing compared to the creativity the good Captain possesses." Clint’s face looked like he had just been given the Iron Lady and a chest full of gold as he nodded, jumping from foot to foot in excitement. Tony spared one look at Rogers, who had turned quite pale, before he turned back to his partners and walked away.

"Isn't Barbossa Jack's...whatever you want to call it?" Bruce asked with curiosity.

"Yes, yes he is!"

"Why give Rogers to him then?"

"I really have no use for him and let’s just sayBarbossa has been waiting to meet the good Captain for quite a while now."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, Rogers took Jack away from Barbossa for a couple of days, that were really unpleasant for Sparrow and Barbossa has been dying to return the favor...in his own creative way." Bruce eyes went a little round at that, they had talked about the pair of pirates after Jack had been introduced to Banner, and the doctor could easily picture some of what would happen to Rogers. Realising Loki had been very quiet during their little trip, Tony turned around to see his lover playing with a small round object.

"What's that?" Without a word, the God stepped forwards, encircling both smaller men in his arms and then they were suddenly back in the small house. "Loki?"

"You said once that any form of magic we could find to extend your life would be allowed, if it was safe and that you would do it without hesitation, yes?" Tony looked to Bruce who only looked calmed, if not a little relieved to see the small orb in the God's hand. 

"Yes." With a nod, Loki took his hand and softly placed the small orb in his hand, closing his fingers around it. 

"All you have to do his swallow it."

"Oookay, do I get to know what it does?"

"It is my understanding that as long as one of us is alive, then so shall you be. It will keep you as you are now, stopping you from aging further and protecting you from harm."

"Anything else?"

"I do not believe so, but the power that gave it to us did ask that in exchange for this gift you shall owe her a favor, to ask for at any time in your long life." Tony looked at the orb in his hand, then at Bruce who simply nodded in approval and finally at Loki who seemed to have stopped moving, fearing his lover’s decision to leave him to live a life of eternal solitude. With a shrug, the genius walked over to the table and grabbed a bottle of rum. He held the orb to his lips, placed it slowly inside his mouth and with one hard gulp of rum, swallowed the orb down. 

Tony felt the hard surface of the orb make its way down his throat until it simply seemed to dissolveinto nothing, absorbed into his flesh. There was a soft pulse that ran from the very tip of his hair to the tip of his toes and then silence.

"I don't..." His words stopped on his tongue as he felt another pulse. He held out his hands in front of his eyes to see his skin pulse and turned a familiar shade of green. Tony looked up toward Bruce whose face was frozen in a mask of terror, as Tony whole body turned green but did not change shape or grow bigger. He could feel the Hulk roaring intriumph inside his head as his rage and protectiveness enveloped him like a protective shield. Slowly, the green disappeared and the Hulk calmed down, still present in a dark place of his brain. Before Tony could move or say anything, his skin changed again, this time a familiar blue, with intricate patterns. He knew from the shock in his lover’s eyes that his eyes had turned the same blood-red as the God’s Jotun appearance. His bones felt like they were made of ice and his blood like a frozen river pulsing through his heart. Tony felt the power of the ice, the knowledge that if he was to touch anyone in this form, they would turninto ice and never live again. Just like the green before it, the blue receded, back leaving hisnormal skin color on the surface. His whole body felt like it was at war with itself, fighting between his old mortal self, the power of the Hulk, and the Jotun warrior, all trying to claim him as their own. His mortal self tried to fight back, to hold on unto what it had always known, but the two forces were too much for it and soon it died, leaving the genius’skin to pulse with power and his world to fall into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes chapter 9is finish and yes it is in the hands of my beta, so this part shoul be finish before the weekend;)
> 
> Thanks to al the people who left comments and kudos it is always a pleasure to know your work is love <3


	9. Home sweet home

Tony was surrounded in darkness, everywhere he looked there was only pitch black nothingness. He could see himself if he looked down, so the darkness was not from lack of light, but simply a lack of existence. He turned around, looking in every direction and as he turned back the way he had initially been facing, he was confronted with a blue giant and a familiar green one.

"Hey, Jolly Green!" Hulk stepped forward, carefully placing one large and around the genius’ waist and lifting him up so they were face to face. The blue Jotun, because Loki had described them to him and he knew approximately what they looked like, simply looked on with curiosity.

"My Tony can smash!"

"I... don't think so big guy." Hulk frowned, clearly disappointed, but if Tony was right in his guess of what was happening, he should not be able to turn into a rage giant. It was weird to be able to feel the two large beings now living under his skin and see them standing in front of him. Turning a little on the Hulk’s grip, Tony rested his hands on the green knuckles and looked at the Jotun. "Hello there, you’re new."

The frost giant leaned down toward him, but the Hulk, to Tony's surprise, didn't move or pull him back, so the genius decided to trust Hulk’s judgment. He felt the cold, blue skin rest against his forehead, a feeling like a raging snow storm filling his head. At the center of it all he could feel the cold resolve of a warrior ready to protect him against the fire of war. When Tony opened eyes he hadn't even realized he had closed, he was peering into the calm, blood-red eyes he knew so well. Just as the Hulk was trapped inside Bruce most of the time, this was the Jotun beast hiding inside Loki that the God only showed with his blue skin and red eyes. The blue creature was massive and beautiful, something that could crush you in the blink of an eyes, but that also possessed the calm in the eye of the storm. Reaching out, Tony placed his hand on the soft blue skin and nodded his thanks for the protection offered by the blue warrior. Hulk pulled him a little away from the Jotun so Tony was gazing into vivid green eyes and placed their foreheads together with the same goofy smile he had every time Tony touched him.

"Hulk and Frost protect my Tony."

"Yeah."

"And one day my Tony smash!" Tony simply snorted at the one track mind, but didn't comment on it. He really did not think he would ever be able to turn into a rage giant like Bruce, but he could let the big guy hope. Softly, Hulk placed him back on the ground and both of the giants slowly faded into the darkness, leaving Tony to wake.

Tony opened his eyes and looked around. He was lying on a hard surface looking up into a pair of worried eyes. His head was lying on the God of Mischief's lap and Bruce was taking his pulse, his other hand fluttering all over his body looking for trauma. As soon as both of them realised he had opened his eyes, they froze, looking ready to jump at any sign of weirdness.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Tony what just happened?" Looking at the worried doctor, Tony turned the hand that Bruce was holding to feel his pulse and intertwined their fingers.

"It’s all good Brucey, all good, I just have my own Hulk now... and Jotun." Tony looked up at the mention of the Jotun, to see the relief on his husband’s face give way to confusion. "I'm pretty sure Hulk is the one who named him, but Jolly Green told me his name was Frost."

"... No I named him... I didn't... never… how is this even possible?"

"What was in the orb I just swallowed? Exactly?"

"My blood and Bruce's. As for the rest, a very powerful kind of magic."

"I deduced as much. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say I just absorbed some of your powers and Brucey’s gamma powers." The doctor blanched a little at the idea, but nodded, agreeing with the genius. "I saw them there inside me, protecting me... I really have no idea what would happen if I was mortally hurt."

Tony was looking at Loki with a little frown, when he felt a sharp pain in his hand and turned to see Bruce holding a small scalpel and looking intently at the small cut he had just made in the genius’ palm.

"Ow! Bruce Banner what did you..." He felt silent as he watched his skin turn green and then blue around the wound, before it closed up on its own, leaving smooth unharmed skin behind. "Ooookay this is kind of cool!"

Sitting down, Tony turned his hand around looking at it with a smile. Bruce must have seen something on his face because he pointed a warning finger towards him, his lips set into a thin line.

"Yes, we'll experiment the limit and healing time, but only once we’re back home and no, I will not shoot you with a gun."

"Spoil sport." Loki pulled him back to his feet, his hands circling his waist and Tony could feel his partner’s sigh of relief against his neck. Turning in his lover’s arms, Tony could see a weight being lifted off his God’s shoulders. "Hey babe, I'm here for the long haul now."

"That's all I wanted, my love." Smiling, Tony went on his tip toes and kissed his lover, one hand on the God’s neck and one hand reaching out for the doctor’s hand. As Bruce curled his hand around the inventor’s, Tony pulled him closer and sighed happily as he felt the doctor’s body pressed against his. Tony felt better touching both men, he felt like he was loved and protected, something he had missed so much in his time as a pirate.

 

++(LO_TO)++

Loki looked down at the top of his better half’s head, nuzzling the salt and pepper curls, and then looked into Banner’s eyes. The doctor gave him a small smile before he buried his head in the scientist’s neck, making him chuckle. The God could feel a part of himself resting under his lover’s skin. He had never thought that his Jotun side would be the one protecting his mate. He had thought that his magic would be the part of him that would keep his lover alive, but feeling the frost giant resting at the core of the smaller man, he couldn't think of a better choice. His magic could be tampered with, could be stripped away from him, but his Jotun self would always be part of him and now he knew it would always be part of his better half. Suddenly, Anthony lifted his head, looking around with a frown.

"Where's Hogun?" Loki frowned down and Banner looked around, but the God hadn't seen the Aesir since he had been reunited with his mate and couldn't recall seeing the silent man since. Before he could say anything, however, Anthony had slipped from their grasps and was running outside, already shouting for the silent man. Loki was about to follow him, when he felt a grip pulling him back and he looked down to meet Banner’s eyes.

"Are you certain you’re okay with all this?"

"All this?"

"Tony being... I'm not even sure what he is really, but mostly us three being... whatever you want to call it?"

"... Tony is immortal. As long as one of us lives, nothing will ever harm him and that is all that matters to me." Banner nodded in agreement, but still looked at the God with worry in his eyes. "As for the change in our relationship, I do not think it has changed."

 

"How so?... Because unless I'm mistaken, we’re in a threesome right now."

"If it had been anyone else, do not doubt for an instant that I would have killed anyone who touched Anthony as you do." There was a flash of green in the doctor eyes, but he stayed otherwise calm. "But you are not anyone else, you are an important part of my mate’s life and you were there before me. Would I have preferred for you to simply be a friend? Yes, of course, but I have the utmost respect for you, doctor, and you are far from physically repulsive."

Banner startled a little as Loki racked his gaze over the scientist’s body, looking at his lean and powerful muscles, his unruly curls and his soft brown eyes. With a nod, Loki leaned down, leaving time for the smaller man to move away if he wished to. When Banner stayed still Loki placed a hand under the doctor’s chin and softly kissed him.

"I'll happily share my heart with yours doctor." Banner nodded a little a slight flush coloring his cheeks. This, the God thought, could turn into quite a fascinating relationship and something in the scientist’s gaze told him the other man had come to the same conclusion and his smile grew.

"And here I thought I was as straight as an arrow, only to find that my arrow can be bound into a circle when it comes to crazy men."

"They do say crazy people make the best bed partners."

"Hmm, we'll have to test that theory out... probably more than once." Loki chuckled darkly at the challenge in Banner’s eyes and placed one more kiss to the doctor’s lips, this one a little more aggressive, enjoying the way the smaller man pushed right back against him.

"Let us go find our crazy man and bring him back home." Banner leaned back with his own dark little smile, full of promises of all the experiments they would run once they had returned home and walked out, Loki following him closely.

++(LO_TO)++

Tony was walking on one of the rope bridges connecting the many different buildings in the suspended village, when he finally spotted his target. Hogun was leaning against one of the buildings a little farther away from where Tony was standing, but that wasn't what caught the genius’ attention. What did peak his curiosity was the younger body leaning against the silent God's, the young body belonging to his trusty man on the island, Clint. There was a soft smile playing on the Aesir's face that changed it so much he looked like a completely different man. Clint was whispering something to Hogun that made the man laugh softly as he looked at the younger man like he was the most precious thing he had ever seen. Staying as quiet as he could, Hogun had taught him well in this matter, he made his way to them with an open smile.

His relationship with another man had been accepted quite easily by his crew, mostly because most of them had secrets that were much darker than the simple fact of a man loving another man. And living in a society that believed woman on ship were a sign of bad luck, it hadn't been a surprise to find out that most captains were in a relationship with a person of the same sex. Barbossa still tried sometimes to hide his love for Jack, but every time someone so much as looked at his crazy man a little too long, he went into full blown possessive jealousy. So Tony wasn't really surprised to see that the man he had placed his trust into the moment they had met, was more like him than he could have ever believed. For some time, he had thought that Natasha and him would find a way to get together, just like they had in his own universe, but the love Natasha had for the younger man was one of a sister for her brother. What did surprise him was the look of pure adoration on the Aesir’s face, as he usually talked with his eyebrow and so rarely used his mouth to show his happiness.

"Clint, Hogun!" Tony gave them a full smile, as they both jumped, startled to see him appear from what might have seemed to them like magic, but it was simply because they had been absorbed in their own little world. Hogun kept his hands around Clint’s waist keeping him firmly pressed against him, as he studied the genius with raised eyebrows.

"As if I would dare judge you, get those things down or they'll merge with your hair and disappear forever." The silent man simply scoffed as Clint’s eyes cast a worried look between the two men.

"Captain? Did you need anything?"

"Nope! I was looking for Hogun here but... you’re staying, aren't you?" Hogun face contorted into something Tony could not understand before the silent man’s gaze returned to the young man in his arms and he nodded once. "Kind of what I thought... Want me to explain it to Thor?"

Hogun sighed and rolled his eyes, as Clint seemed a little uncomfortable, apparently Hogun talked to the younger man instead of just letting him read his body language. Seeing his captain have an entire conversation with his silent companion was confusing him to no end, but from the look on the Aesir’s face he found the whole thing quite adorable.

"Yeah it’s gonna be a blast to explain that. Especially with Sif’s and Fandral’s betrayal." Hogun looked a little chagrined and seemed to be about to renounce something that made his life complete, so Tony held out his hands to stop him. "No! He has Loki, he has the Avengers, he is not alone and I can’t see the big guy being pissed at you for following your heart. I mean we’re talking about a man who used a love potion to get me and Loki together."

"What!?!" Clint was looking at his captain quite alarmed, but Hogun leaned down to him and whispered something in his ear that made the younger man laugh and relax once again in his arms.

"If you ever want to come back to our universe, just find Barbossa and Sparrow. Jack promised me he would find a way to see me again and if he does, I'm sure he wouldn't mind bringing the two of you." Clint’s eyes lit up at the idea and Hogun gave a nod in agreement. They both shared one last look, silently thanking the other for the companionship they had shared, before Tony turned around, leaving the new lovers to enjoy the rest of their lives.

As he reached the bridge he found Loki and Bruce waiting for him with open smiles. He stepped to them and placing a hand around each of their waists pulled them together.

"Did you find Hogun, darling?"

"Hm hum yes, he's gonna stay here."

"Oh?"

"It would seem my little Clint has captured our stone-faced God’s heart." Loki looked a little surprised and turned his head slightly to the side, maybe trying to catch a glimpse of the couple through the branches. Bruce simply rolled his chuckling softly looking at Tony like the man had planned the whole thing himself.

"Are you ready to leave this place my love?" Loki stopped them in the middle of the bridge and Bruce leaned a little more heavily against Tony.

"No... Yes, everything had been said and done I think."

"Your crew?"

"They’re Natasha's now, have been the moment you appeared and she knows it. Oh wait!" Tony turned around and ran to the little house he had lived in for the last year. With a speed earned from months of practice, he slipped into his Asgardian armour and his soft leather boots, placed his red, worn coat over his shoulder and, with one last look, buckled his belt filled with all his weapons and placed his hat on his head. Running back to his two partners, he watched as Loki raised his hand clad in his suit’s glove and opened a tear in the fabric of the universe in front of them and with one last look around him, he took both men’s hands and stepped through.

++(LO_TO)++

They stepped out of the breach to find themselves in a small Victorian-looking corridor. Loki looked around, taking in the flowery tapestry, the soft, worn carpet under his feet, the old door in the entry and the worn wooden stairs leading up. There didn't seemed to be anyone in the house, but the God had gotten into the habit of cloaking himself and his companion soon into their travel and this was no exception, if not for one little problem.

"Where's Anthony?" Banner looked to his right and then back at the God with wide eyes. They both looked around the small corridor but the God of Mischief’s suspicions were proven as they heard shouting from the floor over their heads.

"Awesome!"

"Fascinating!" Looking at each other, Loki sighed as Banner rolled his eyes. They took the stairs two at a time, as the shout turned silent. They found a room with an open door and stepped through to find all kinds of experiments and vegetation covering every available surface in the room and what looked like a dead dog lying on the floor. But what caught both the God’s and the doctor’s attention was Anthony standing in the middle of the room facing a beardless, Victorian Anthony with wild hair. Both of them were looking at each other with wide eyes, inspecting the other with curiosity. The Victorian Anthony looked over Loki’s mate shoulder and his eyebrows raised a little as he took in the two new appearances.

"Truly fascinating!" The Victorian Anthony spoke with a slight posh accent and one look through the window confirmed to Loki that they were indeed in London. Banner had found his attention caught by some experiment which seemed to need the employment of red frogs, pink flowers and what looked like cats’ eyes. "Please do not touch or disturb any of my experiments."

"Are you trying to make a local paralyzer?" The Victorian Anthony lit up at the question and seemed to really want to go to Banner, but he was still looking at Anthony with a slight frown. Finally he seemed to decide that Banner was more interesting and moved around the pirate to sit on the floor next to Banner.

"Yes, yes I am. I haven't seemed to have found the right ingredient, but it would seem from the result I got from testing them on Gladstone that I am approaching the desired effect."

"Gladstone?"

"The dog."

"Oh, well the frog is certainly the right kind, but the flower you’re using is wrong and the.. .cats’ eyes?" The Victorian man nodded, his eyes lighting up in interest, already looking like he didn't have a double in the room. "Yeah they’re useless."

"And you would be?"

"Banner, Bruce Banner and you?"

"SHERLOCK!" The four men turned their heads towards the door at the back of the room as another man appeared, this one taller, with a refine moustache and looking more put together than the Victorian Anthony. The taller man froze in the door frame, his eyes going to Anthony, as the other one was on the floor hidden behind Loki. "Holmes what are you wearing? What's happening here? Who are those people?... Please tell me you have a good explanation and WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE DOG?"

"... I'm Sherlock Holmes! Babe I'm Sherlock Holmes!"

"Yes darling, it would seem you are." Noting the grip the taller man had on his cane as Loki moved to his mate’s side and placed a hand around his waist with a smile, Loki moved them to the side so the man could see the Victorian Anthony sitting on the floor. The man eyes went wide as his gaze went from the Anthony leaning against the God with a goofy smile on his face to the Victorian one, Sherlock Holmes apparently, and Banner just kept picking at the frogs removing the cat eyes.

"Holmes?"

"It is a truly fascinating event, is it not, Watson?"

"Oh my God, my Watson is so much sexier than the BBC one! Although, I mean, Martin Freeman is quite adorable, but yeah I have the sexiest Watson, NEAT!" The taller man, Watson, frowned as Anthony just keep on rambling about the sexiness of all the Watsons, while Holmes looked at him like the genius had just transformed into something very interesting.

"Other Watsons?" Anthony stopped his ramble and the two of them exchanged a look that Loki knew all too well, with a sigh the God pinched the bridge of his nose knowing what was coming.

"Could you handle more than one?" The smile that bloomed on Holmes face was one Loki had seen enough time in the bedroom to recognize it on another Anthony's face. But then he stopped looking at the God of Mischief with a frown and his gaze went to the hand Loki was resting on his mate’s hips.

"You are not human are you?" Loki startled a little as Anthony simply chuckled, saying something about the power of observation.

"How?"

"Your skin is not actually any shade that could be found on a human, your eyes flicker in the light in ways that do not follow the laws of reflection, the way you stand indicates royalty, but you are not asking respect from us, because you do not see us as your subjects. Your clothes are not made of any fabric made on this earth and while they are human. "His gaze shifted from Anthony to Banner, making his lover snort and the doctor scoff. "You are definitely not... Or am I wrong about the two of you?"

"No and yes, we are human... to a certain extent." Again Banner snorted at the understatement as he added some blue flowers to the mix he was finishing. "That tall gorgeous man of mine is Loki,God..."

"Of Mischief and illegitimate son of Odin, the All Father of Asgard and brother of Thor the God of Thunder... But those are stories of the past, old wives’ tales’... How?" Anthony opened his eyes, but then simply shrugged, looking up at Loki with raised eyebrows, while Watson moved to Holmes’ side, his hand still on his cane.

"Babe?"

"This universe might simply be a pocket into another time of our own universe or it might be that the mythology of my world has yet to come to reach this universe, or there is always the possibility of another Asgard in this universe. Your guess is as good as mine, darling."

"Parallel universes, truly fascinating. Would you allow me to draw blood from you?"

"No." Holmes face fell a little, but then his gaze turned to Anthony, but just like him, his mate shook his head, Banner following their leads as he stepped away from his experiment.

"This will work better than your cats’ eyes." Holmes jumped over to the experiment, beaming at Banner as the doctor took his place next to the couple, taking the genius’ hand and giving it a little squeeze, all under the detective’s watchful eyes.

"Truly fascinating... Do you also have a Watson?" Watson bristled at that, glaring at the detective.

"Brucey is better than any Watson." Now it was Holmes’ turn to scoff in disbelief as he stepped to his own doctor, Anthony studying their body language with a knowing smile. "But your Watson seems fun too."

Holmes and Anthony exchanged a look full of something Loki could not understand and they both nodded at each other. Holmes looked to his doctor and snorted in disbelief as his mate giggled.

"Do not even think it Watson." The taller man looked slightly guilty, before he looked down at Holmes with a little sheepish smile.

"I do not think I could handle two of you... if he is anything like you."

"He’s a workaholic, who never sleeps, never eats, talks a mile a minute without breathing and comes up with the weirdest experiments that always seemed to work, even though you know if any other man tried them they would probably fail?" Banner asked as Anthony looked at him with a smile and Loki snorted at the under-statement.

"... Yes."

"Then no, you couldn't and I have to applaud you as it would seem you do it alone, whereas Tony has a small army taking care of him."

"HEY!" The two Anthonys echoed each other turning, on their respective doctors in unison, looking quite peeved. Loki’s glove started to glow, indicating it was ready to open a new door and, pulling back his mate, he opened the new tear.

"Darling, if you wouldn't mind staying close this time, I do not wish to know what the next universe has reserved for us and I for one do not intend to find out by finding you bleeding on the floor." Anthony rolled his eyes in derision, but otherwise nodded his agreement as Banner took his place closer to the God’s side. With one last look at wild-eyed Holmes and a gasping Watson, Loki sent a little wink their way before he pulled his two partners into the breach.

"Good day gentlemen!"

++(LO_TO)++

Tony was having the time of his life with this universe jumping. They had already come across many different versions of himself. Of course, he wasn't allowed to talk to them, because just as Loki had said, they never knew what they would come across once they crossed the breach. So his husband took great care in shielding the three of them, leaving them to be silent observers, until the glove started glowing again, ready to open a new wormhole. So far they had encountered a black version of himself stuck in the middle of a war in a tropical forest. They had also come across a younger version of himself kissing a man in an alley after placing a corpse at the back of a car, then there had been the singing detective version of himself, a younger version that danced around and was followed by four ghosts and finally a journalist on the trace of the famous Zodiac killer, Bruce was there as another journalist.

"I. Am. Awesome!" Tony was smiling like a loon again as they appeared into what looked like the storage room of a movie studio and watched in awe as a very young version of Tony turned into Charlie Chaplin. "No seriously, I am made of awesome, Sherlock Holmes and now Charlie Chaplin. Babe, you are the luckiest man ever."

"Yes darling, whatever you say darling."

"... You know what, I like that, just always say that!"

"Yes darling, whatever you say darling." Tony chuckled as Loki kissed his cheek with an adoring look in his eyes, while he was taking picture of the Chaplin Tony with his Stark phone. The genius had been happy to see that his two partners seemed to be more comfortable with small signs of affection. They mostly kissed, held hands or touched each other with more ease as the days passed. They still seemed to be more comfortable with touching if Tony was close by, or even standing between them, but the genius was sure that soon he wouldn't need to be the middle man in the little threesome. Banner seemed more relaxed and comfortable in his skin, now that he was allowed to show his love for the engineer more freely and without fearing for the God's reaction. Loki was still himself, an over bearing protective and loving man, who had now turned a little of his protective nature to the doctor. It was in the little things, the way the God always made sure both men were at his side or the way he would pull both men closer if they appeared in a strange universe.

They had just stepped through the breach, with one last look at his Chaplin-self shuffling around and playing with his hat, when the genius felt his partner’s grip tighten around his waist and lift him away from the ground. Tony looked over to see Bruce also being held up and looked down to see a familiar pool of blue water.

"Brother!" The booming voice caught his attention and Tony looked up to see Thor standing at the edge of the pool with his signature goofy smile. Loki, who had been hovering over the pool, glided to the side of it, carefully holding his precious charges away from the treacherous water below. "Man of Iron, Doctor Banner!"

As soon as Loki released them, Tony and Bruce were scooped up into a bear hug, swung off their feet by an overjoyed God of Thunder.

"Hey big guy, I know you’re happy to see us, but could we be allowed to breathe?" With a sheepish smile, Thor placed them back onto the floor and walked to his brother, clearly unsure if he was allowed to touch the younger God. With a smile, Tony watched as Loki rolled his eyes and took his brother in his arms, whispering something in the blond man’s ear that brought mist into the thunder God’s eyes.

"I missed you too, brother." Loki patted his brother’s arm, moving to Tony's side as he always did when he was feeling strong emotion he did not seem to know how to process, even took Bruce hand in his, looking for a little more comfort.

"Where is Odin?" Thor’s face turned very serious all of a sudden, his eyebrows frowning and his shoulder slumping as if the world were to be resting on them.

"The All Father has entered the Odinsleep. He has left me as the new leader of Asgard... Brother I need you." Loki pulled Tony a little closer, crushing his mate to his chest, frantically squeezing Bruce's hands until the doctor moved closer. "I am not ready for the throne, many matters need my attention, but I do not know how to resolve their puzzling problems."

"Thor, I do not know..." Loki looked so lost for an instant, Tony's heart fell for his lover and he turned to Thor getting the thunder God’s full attention.

"Ok Thor, sweety, I’ve just got my man back and although I love you and your wonderful world, I really would like to be returned to my own. So here's my offer: you let Loki come back to Midgard with us, give us a little time to settle down and find our balance again, and then, only then, will I allow my husband to come back here and help you get your things in order."

"Allow him? Man of Iron, my brother has duties to Asgard. You cannot..."

"My husband is my only duty, brother. You have my loyalty, but my duties are with my mate. You should take his words and take them to heart, if you wish for me to come back at all." Loki seemed more sure, more comfortable in his skin as he spoke, looking down at his brother with a challenge in his eyes. He then turned to Tony, his expression softening and a teasing smile on his lips. “Yes darling, whatever you say darling."

"Still the best answer! Anything to add, Thor?"

"... No, Man of Iron, I'll await my brother’s return with great patience." The God of Thunder was looking at the genius just as Bruce and Loki had looked at him when he had first used his leader voice, eyes a little wide and mouth slightly gaping."... You are of course welcome to accompany as my brother’s consort on his visit..."

"Maybe later, you know much later, I don't think I'll come to Asgard for a long while." There was something in Loki's eyes at that statement that looked speculative, but it was gone before Tony could analyze it, so he simply shrugged. "Take me home, babe."

++(LO_TO)++

"OH! OH! Steve I'm so sorry! So, so sorry!" Loki and Banner were simply looking on in shock as Anthony fanned the good Captain, while Natasha and Clint were laughing, leaning against each other. The moment Heimdall had sent them to re-appear on the Avengers Tower’s balcony, Steve had been the first one to come to them with open arms. But as soon as Anthony had seen the captain, he had swung at the blond man sending him crashing to the floor with one powerful punch to his jaw. The genius had been reaching for his sword ready to strike again, before his eyes had widened and he had knelt next to Steve, apologizing. "I'm so, so sorry, my instincts took over!... Just you know, for the next couple of days... you should really try not to sneak on me... especially if I'm armed... but seriously I'm so sorry!"

"It’s all right Tony... really, it’s all right, happy to have you back." Steve looked up at Loki, glaring at him. Apparently the soldier still had unwanted feelings for his husband and quite a lot of hatred for the God. "How... When did you get so strong?"

"No, that's not the question! Why are you dressed like a pirate?" Clint had found his breath again and had draped himself over Tony, hugging him with his whole body. Natasha simply stepped forward, patting the genius’ shoulder, before walking back inside the tower, it was as close to a welcome back he would get from the Widow.

"Well, Clinty as it so happens, I am dressed as a pirate because I just spent a year as the captain of a pirate ship. As for the strength, well it would seem I'm immortal now!" The soldier and the archer looked at each other and then at the genius who was simply grinning, before they pulled him inside, asking a thousand questions, leaving Loki and Banner alone on the balcony.

"Should we go rescue our man from the blondes terror’s questioning?" Banner asked, leaning a little against Loki, looking exhausted.

"Let him enjoy the attention. If he really wants to be left alone, I think he has just proven he can take care of himself."

"Hmm, Steve really felt that one... do you think there will be any other side effects to us being part of Tony's DNA?" Loki looked inside the tower as Miss Potts entered, going to Anthony with tears of relief on her face and his mate picked her up in a crushing hug smiling happily.

"You’re the doctor, what do you think?" Banner hummed softly, following the God’s gaze as Pepper, Anthony, and Clint piled themselves on the sofa, his mate talking with wide gestures, his pirate’s hat now resting on Pepper's head.

"Only time will tell, time and a lot of experiments."

"In bed?" Banner rolled his eyes as Loki placed his arm around the smaller man’s shoulder, pushing them forwards and towards their precious, now immortal, lover.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Completely rebeta by the lovely Sockera thank you so much for al this hard work :) 
> 
> Thank you for reading and as always comments are welcome and cherish !

**Author's Note:**

> The next chapter will be up soon the last one read by my sweet beta angel because she cannot help me anymore, so I am looking for a new beta if interested leave a message in comment below, thank you for your patience since I don't want to post anything without a beta being on so very French ;)


End file.
